Your Darkness, Our Light
by Paralian Ghost
Summary: Growing up with a difficult family, Cecilia runs away at 15. Upon chance, she stumbles into Camp Half-Blood and makes quite the entrance. She finally feels alive for once, but what's a demigod without trouble? Things are bound to get interesting as she falls for the Ghost King, and Lia has to confront a deep fear that is coincidentally linked to him. Nico x OC
1. Chapter 1

**Hi readers! So this is my fanfiction, NicoxOC. Though the OC's real name is Cecilia, she likes to go by Lia. (So far, and maybe the entire story) I'm going to just identify P.O.V.'s with the character's first initial. This is a really short introductory chapter...sorry. It's my first PJO fanfic (uploaded) so please R&amp;R! Anything you have to say is much appreciated ;v; **

********I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians...series or characters, but I do own my OC :) I also don't own the song below or its lyrics******

_My eyes are open wide  
And by the way, I made it  
Through the day  
I watched the world outside  
By the way, I'm leaving out  
Today..._

_Tell my mother,  
Tell my father  
I've done the best I can  
To make them realize  
This is my life  
I hope they understand  
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...  
Sometimes goodbye  
Is a second chance_

Please don't cry  
One tear for me  
I'm not afraid of  
What I have to say  
This is my one and  
Only voice

_\- _Second Chance by Shinedown

**Chapter One - L**

"I hate this! I hate everything!" I scream.

I tear at my flesh, yanking out hair and clawing at my eyes. In my mind, that is. In reality, I am screaming silently into my pillow, choking back sobs. Anger pulses through my veins, and I cannot take it any longer. A surge of capricious defiance surges through me, and it's dangerous. Hastily, half-conscious, I snatch a bag up from the floor. It is packed, and always has been since I was eight years old. I restocked the bag with bags of crackers, cereal, water bottles, and whatnot every year - it also contained much money that I'd accumulated and managed to save. My emergency bag. Clothes, a small first aid kit I put together, Titanium scissors, and a box of tacks. There was no way I could get away with swiping a knife in this household.

This house. It infuriated me, everything about it. My mother was a perfectionist, refusing to believe that I could be a degree less than the epitome of flawless. My father was strict and solemn. Both were unforgiving and hard to talk to, not to mention that they did not understand an ounce of me. Their daughter. Fifteeen years and they had no clue who I was?

It had only taken a small thing to get me worked up this time, but I was deeply maddened. I recalled all the injustice they'd inflicted upon me throughout my life. I opened up my window and took a deep breath. I put my backpack on and jumped.

I live in a three-story townhouse. My bedroom lay at the top, and below there is grass. Landing most ungracefully and quite hard on my feet, I fell to the ground. I took a sharp inhale and hobbled over to conceal myself behind a bush. When I was confident that I was out of sight, I rolled into a ball and emitted gasps of pain. My ankles were killing me, and I could only hope that I hadn't sprained or twisted anything. Or gods forbid, broken a bone. Despite the pain, I forced myself to roll my feet, and flex. After a while, the agony became bearable and I stepped up. I would miss nothing, except for the pool.

**So, that's about it for the first chap. Please review and tell me what you think/any ideas perhaps? Thanks so much if you decided to give this a try :) Next chapter should be up in a jiffy. And this chapter was a bit angsty I guess but the rest of the story won't be, so please don't turn the story down just cause of that :( The little OC is going to meet some familiar faces very soon. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello lovely readers! So, Chapter 2. Urgh... very long chapter. Bear with me, please. Thank you to the two quest reviews so far. And the follows/favorites really made my day! R&amp;R ****I don't own PJO or any of the song(lyrics).**

**Chapter Two **

**Lia's P.O.V.**

The streets of New York are fun. I personally like them, even though my parents seldom let me go out into the city. I did not look conspicuous amongst the eccentric minor-models, businesspeople, hipsters, tourists, and citizens. At a gift shop, I swap my ratty drawstring for a black Jansport with the protective leather padding underneath. I couldn't stay in the city for long, because I'll probably end up sleeping in an alleyway at night and that would be the worst place to be. So I walk around and pretend to be a tourist, sightseeing and all that jazz. It's fun, and I even almost forget who I am for a second.

As I gaze off at the people walking up and down the streets in such frenzy, a hand gripped my shoulder. I froze my swinging legs and was petrified to the bench. I look up and see a man with a baseball cap, pulled low, and in running attire.

"Found you, illegitimate little shit," he snarled.

I could tell right away before the words even came out of his mouth that he was not good news. I also knew that I was not illegitimate. Sometimes I wish I was an adopted orphan; it disgusted me to think that I shared the blood of two people who'd made my life hell. Springing up from the bench, I threw the man's arm off my shoulder and dashed across the street. It was like stepping on hot potatoes, every step dangerous and life threatening. Cars honked simultaneously, and several taxis bumped against my legs. I almost tripped a couple of times, dashing awkwardly through the mass of cars in some strange prance.

The man was hot on my trail, but his bulky size is a disadvantage because he can't squeeze through the cars as easily. I make it to the other side of the street, and dash through the seas of people. I have no idea where I am going. Then, I see a bridge. There are a lot of bridges in New York, and a couple rivers, but I have no idea which this one is. Maybe the Henry Hudson or something, we learn a lot about him in school. An ounce of hesitancy flickers in my brain, but I jump in before my thoughts can make me reconsider.

The river is dirty - almost everything in New York City is, except for the fancy hotels and restaurants. The man is peering over the railing, and scanning the water for me. He saw me jump. He takes out something that looks like a weapon. Even with my dark hair billowing in front of my face, I can tell it's not a gun - it's quite large actually.

Fear strikes through my heart with the same intensity of five hundred pounds of iron. The thought of his eyes settling on my body bobbing slowly down the river...he'd pinpoint me, and pluck my life out of existence, in a second. And then I'd be a dead body floating down the river. My heart raced and it took all my willpower not to start sobbing and emitting bubbles.

I closed my eyes, and took a moderate breath as I disappeared below the surface of the water. There are lighter shapes moving in front of my eyelids, like bright currents. I try to calm my racing heart. I don't know how long it's been, but the water is still moving me. I feel like I'm breathing, but that's not right. My breath was gone long ago - my cheeks are no longer puffed up. My mouth and nose are moving, inhaling and exhaling. Is this drowning? It must be. I still don't panic, and my mind seems to be dislocated from my body and senses. I must be dying. Small voices assure me that I am not, and I continue in the strange sleep as the water carries me on down the river.

The bright currents dance in my brain, and it reminds me of what I would do in the pool when I was young. On sunny days, I'd flip onto my back and push myself down to the bottom of the pool with my arms. Staring up at the water, it seemed as if the sunlight was running across the surface with fairy footsteps. It had felt so safe under the water.

Slowly and hazily, I make my way to the surface. I break out into the air, inhaling on a small breeze. I don't recognize where I am. It's a forest, and I hear no sound of a bustling city. The sky is different from the city - much more natural and less polluted. I'm no longer in a dirty New York City river, but a small trickling stream. The water has gotten lower, and I grab onto a rock. I sit up, and almost choke on the air while trying to take small breaths. All of my consciousness trickles back into my brain like an hourglass of sand. More alert, less relaxed. Then, I feel a sharp pain in my lower back. A hot rush of blood rushes through my veins, and then coldness seeps everywhere in the form of frigid pinpricks. I wince at the pain, and reach for the area where it seems to resonate from. Wet, sticky blood oozes from the wound - and I think there is a small dart-like thing protruding, or some kind of spiky bullet.

I gasp, and try not to panic. It might make me bleed more. I wash my hands quickly in the river and stagger to my feet. A figure approaches me from behind a mass of trees - the man that I now identified as my stalker and attacker.

I struggle for words, battling to hold the fear at bay. If I let the paranoia consume my now, all is lost. He leers at me, and his clothes rip off slowly. His body is expanding and changing, shape and color. I stumble out of the stream and onto the banks, horrified. The transformation is still going, and I see a grotesque demeanor become unveiled. He is very big, almost twelve feet now. Still, the man - no, thing - grows. His skin settles on a sandpaper and greenish hue and his eyes slant and fade to crimson. Scales form, and a tail. I run, wishing to be under the safe vicinity of the water's surface once again. I can't use the stream - it's too shallow.

"Help. Help. Helpp." I sound like a small dying dog yipping.

My voice is nearly inaudible and raspy - it sounds like when I try to scream in a nightmare and I can't. I try harder, and it's so hard. The fear is consuming me, I want to drop to the ground and go ballistic. I push harder, trying to find my voice.

"Help. Help. Help me. Me..."

The frustration is overwhelming, but not as much as the terror. My blood is churning and a steady hand is squeezing my heart - I can barely breathe. Then, out of the blue something perks up in my desperate call for aid. It sounds so twisted when it comes out, changing from a low, hoarse gasp to a screechy wail, and then to a flat yelp. I try again, and again. No one is going to hear; maybe no one is even around.

The monster's steps grow louder and louder behind me. The ground is shaking like a 4.0 earthquake. I think I hear voices, and I turn toward them. I let off as many strange screams as I can, and try to run. But I can't run - my movements are jerky and slow, as if I'm a string puppet. My biggest fear glides alongside me, laughing. I've always been afraid of dying since I was little. With barely any friends, I was a morbid thinker. I think of death a lot, and it's unhealthy. I live in fear, and in disappointment that I'm not really "living" at all. I'm not afraid of dying really, just what I have to deal with after. So I am afraid of dying, really. I don't know what happens after. And now, I'm going to find out.

_Do you believe you're missin' out_  
_That everything good is happening somewhere else?_  
_But with nobody in your bed_  
_The night's hard to get through_

_And I will die all alone_  
_And when I arrive I won't know anyone_

_Well, Jesus Christ, I'm alone again_  
_So what did you do those three days you were dead?_  
_'cause this problem's gonna last more than the weekend._

_Well, Jesus Christ, I'm not scared to die,_  
_I'm a little bit scared of what comes after_  
_Do I get the gold chariot?_  
_Do I float through the ceiling?_

_Do I divide and fall apart?_  
_'cause my bright is too slight to hold back all my dark_  
_And the ship went down in sight of land_

_\- Jesus Christ by Brand New _

**Nico's P.O.V.**

We tread through the forest quietly, soft music coming out from Bridger's backpack. I trail behind the group, leaving at least a foot in the shadow of a tree or bush while the others walk comfortably in sunshine. If it bothers them, they don't show it. It took a while to find friends that didn't mind a death demigod.

The four of us make small talk about camp and petty summer quests as we head toward the small pond we'd found a couple weeks back. It was the size of a regular swimming pool, but insanely deep and crystal clear. Enclosed by some willows and pines, it was our little secret. Much better than the crowded lake back at the camp, where there were bound to be tons of people. I'm not antisocial - I just...

"You know, I smell something in the air." Ace muttered, his relaxed posture stiffening into warlike-mode.

The way his jaw twitched and eyes darted around calmly made him radiate Ares demigod-ness. Spenser backed off a bit from Ace, raising his eyebrows.

"Don't tell me you're getting one of those spontaneous paranoia-destruction whims again, Ace. We came to swim and spar a little, not to gang up on you while you're in some wild beast mode." the Hermes demigod said, flashing a white grin.

Everyone muttered their discontent, and I chuckled a bit to myself. As if being a son of Ares doesn't put enough fight into Ace's blood, he has strange whims where he gets paranoid and thirsts for a good fight. Sometimes, he just gets worked up and beats the other guy who offended him real bad. However, most of the time it's when he's around us and suddenly gets it into his head that we're all clones or monsters in disguises. He overanalyzes us, and if we seem to be acting a bit strange, he turns Spartan. While we're all decent fighters and it's usually at least three to one, Ace is a son of Ares and the possession makes him even more malicious.

"No, no not that," Ace snaps, half-listening as his hearing extends out further into the woods.

Everyone sees the seriousness in the situation, as I mutter under my breath.

"What a classic hunter. Always vigilant."

Spenser and Bridger laugh. Ace shushes us. Ace forces his way in front of the group, pushing Bridger aside hastily.

"Guys, hear that?" Ace murmurs, his voice concerned, but more excited.

"Is it something serious?" Bridger asks.

"No, we can handle it," Ace says.

"We're not all Ares kids with fatally-supersized egos here, Ace," Spenser says.

Ace shoots us all looks, examining our faces. For fear, probably.

"You guys want out, you can run your little asses back to camp. I can handle this on my own."

We shake our heads, and Bridger lets out a low whistle.

"Got a bad feeling 'bout this." I say.

"Then why you smiling?" Ace demanded wondrously.

"'Cause something's going to die."

"Shit, Ace. Maybe you're biting off a bit too much this time." Spenser said.

"The only thing dying is the enemy. That is, after we bring it back to camp and torture it with interrogations." Ace said flatly.

"An intruder?" Bridger asks.

"I smell 'im. I smell blood, really close. Bet Nico can smell it, too." Ace replies, not looking back at me.

And he was right. I could smell blood - but I didn't want to confirm what I thought it was.

"What is it?" Spenser asks sharply.

"I-I don't-"

"C'mon, Nico. Cut the modest stuff, we know you're like a shark and can smell blood from miles away. Is it one of those cursed snakes again?" Bridger asks.

"It's not a monster. It's a demigod, with about thirty minutes to live."

Bridger whistles. He whistles too much, but that's to be expected from a musically inclined Apollo kid. Ace tells him to cut it out, or else the monster will track us down and eat us before we can save the poor kid.

We find drop our backpacks off by the base of a big tree, keeping weapons only - except for Spenser who, with a father that excels in medicine, sticks a mini First-Aid kit into his pocket. The thing is the size of a hand, but it opens up to reveal at least two hundred cures for basic monster infections. I always have my ambrosia and nectar on me, a bad habit from when I was younger. At least I don't wear the same leather jacket anymore. I can also wear other colors than black now, and I've discarded the chain belt and skull ring. I don't wear any jewelry at all now. My hair looks much better, too. I have come a long way.

"HELP! Help me!" a voice calls out, and it turns my blood cold.

**SOsososso what do you think? What kind of monster does the stalker seem to be? Hahaha it's pretty confusing rn. The next chapter might be a bit later...So, Ace, Bridger, and Spenser are Nico's friends. Nico is 15, Lia's 15...and Nico's three buddies are 15 too. Ok. It's a bit messy so Ace is a son of Ares, Bridger-Apollo, and Spenser-Hermes. Hmmmm but what about Lia :0 mwhaahah. thank you so much for reading. please review guys! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hiya readers! Soooo, Chapter Three is here. thank you for your reviews, follows, and favorites :) Keep them coming, please. What do you think of my O.C., Lia, so far? Just a heads up, Thank you soo much, please R&amp;R! -I don't own PJO or any of the songs/lyrics that I use excerpts from. Only Lia is mine, the O.C. -**

_I turn to wax and melt like this_  
_Melt like this_

_I found you in pieces you'd been torn apart_  
_A million one reasons to end before you start_  
_But deep down I knew_  
_No matter what in the end, it'd be me and you_

_-BTSK, by Ms Mr_

**Chapter Three - Nico's P.O.V.**

_...a voice calls out, and it turns my blood cold._

I can say the same for all the other guys by the stiffening in their posture. The voice was a young girl's, but something was obviously very wrong with her.

"That's how I sound like when I try to sing in a nightmare. I can never sing in a nightmare." Bridger says.

I know exactly what he means, and Spenser nods in agreement. Her wail had shifted octaves, and was nearly inaudible. We needed to find her quick. She was not far - as her voice was caught between a muffled yelp and a murmur. The ground began to tremble as we ran toward where we heard the voice.

"Something wicked this way comes." Ace says with a hint of humor.

"You got that from a movie didn't you? I've heard that one before." Spenser says.

Another cringe-worthy plea for help rings out, and my hand clenches the hilt of my Stygian iron sword tightly. Then, a roar reverberates off the trees. It is inhuman, and much louder.

"Lydian drakon. Oh shit, oh shit. I'm dead." Ace jokes, a vicious smile curling up on up the side of his lips.

"Lydian DRAKON?" Spenser yells, "The ones that only a child of Ares can kill?"

"You want me to run back and get Clarisse? She killed the one on Mt. Olympus a while back and has experience-" Bridger was interrupted by Ace.

"Hello? Who am I?"

"Nico, great intuition. How many of us are going to again?" Spenser groaned, turning to me.

"I can't say for sure, but at least one."

"And we've got to save the half-dead chick," Ace adds, "How much longer she got, Death Timer?"

I roll my eyes at the name, but answer anyways,

"Twenty-three minutes now."

It was getting serious, because a Lydian drakon is serious trouble. We couldn't just leave Ace to handle it all by himself because of the fact that it would only die at the hands of an Ares demigod. We'd have to slow it down, and maim it a bit. Ace would go for the big hit. And, the best sprinter would have to take the girl back to camp in time. Ace explained the plan to us, which was pretty close to what I had drawn out. I was glad he knew that he couldn't do it all by himself.

"I trust that you know my dream funeral? Scattered into a gust of wind off the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro to an acoustic "She Will Be Loved"?" Spenser says to me, pretending to wipe away tears.

"I'm too busy. You'll be wrapped up Egyptian style after we've removed your brains and internal organs and display those in the Mess Hall for all to remember your heroic feats." I tell him, laughing.

"Harsh. And here I thought we were on good terms."

"Egyptians removed the brains out from the nose with a pick." I add, laughing, as Spenser and Bridger gag.

"It's coming." Ace says, from behind his tree.

We dash out from our trees as the rumbling comes close enough. A couple of pines break down, just as a small figure jumps out. She barely escapes from the drakon's outreached claws. The girl is small, and blood is dripping down her backside. She's staggering while she runs, as if she has a limp. But as I peer closer, there's nothing wrong with her feet. She just can't run right.

"Venetian Azul. It's a small dart manufactured in Italy, with a blue liquid welded into the metal pin part of the dart. Slowly, the metal with the poison melts into the person's body. Very slowly - about forty minutes. It causes the body to be harder to control by shutting the nervous system on and off. That's why she runs like that. Her bodily functions are also impaired, and she's feeling both hold and cold rushes and numb pins and needles right now. As well as a lot of pain. Cured by pouring melted silver over it, and taking what's left of the dart out, of course. We've got tons of vials of silver back at camp." Spenser recites quickly.

"You sound like a godsdamned textbook. We finish this fight quick, and run back even faster. She probably weighs an ounce anyways." Ace says.

"Or I can shadow travel." I offer, the idea just hitting me.

The guys look at me incredulously.

"Brilliant. You're so brilliant." Bridger marvels.

"Pretty bright for such a dark kid." Ace agrees, and I glare at him.

The drakon fully emerges from the trees, towering above all of us.

"Hey, you! Stay behind that big tree! Don't go anywhere, or else it'll take us longer to find you and bring you back to camp. Just rest there for bit and they'll fix you up nice and dandy," Spenser hollers to the girl.

She looks at us with wide eyes, and it's no doubt she's a demigod because she knows the drakon _and_ can see our weapons. A curt nod, and she's off behind some trees. I'm glad she's not like some of the newbies that just stand frozen in place and can't process any of the magic.

"She seems pretty cool about it." Bridger says to no one in particular.

"Less trouble for us." Ace grits his teeth and charges first for the beast.

We follow his lead. His two swords, one like a gladius and the other long and thin, wave in a deadly arc, slashing through the air. Roars and screeches pierce the air. Spenser goes for the small things, like feet and the stomach. Bridger is up in the trees, where his archery could hit an eye and weak spots in the scales. I scowl as I head for the worst thing left over - the tail.

Ace is jumping around, and lands on top of the beast. He must feel like a cowboy on the world's best bucking bull. I slice off a few thorny protuberances and get some gashes on my forearms when I throw up my hands to protect my face from the whiplash tail. I chop off about two inches of the tail, then a foot, and then five feet. My sword nearly swings to the ground with all the force I'd put into that last slash. Blood is all over my shirt, which was crisp white to begin with.

"Oh! The gore!" Bridger screams from the treetops as the tail shakes violently, sending a shower of blood everywhere.

I block my head from the rain of red, and run away to dodge becoming soaked in the blood. The drakon roars in fury and agony. It's got tons of arrows sticking out of its back and wings, an amputated foot, and missing almost half of its tail. I hope Ace doesn't fall back too much, because he might impale himself on one of Bridger's arrows.

Just as I'm about to go in and take off the entire tail, the drakon rises up on its two front feet and shakes Ace off. He tumbles to the ground, thankfully not hurt too much. But the drakon flies awkwardly to the trees where the girl is. The trees are too close for the monster's wings to fully extend, and Spenser takes the opportunity, leaping up to grab the edge of a wing. He slices off an entire right wing.

Ace runs past me. The drakon is nose to nose with the girl, who isn't screaming. She's breathing heavily, but looks the drakon right in the eye. It snarls, and the teeth incise her neck and lower jaw. Streaks of blood drip onto her shirt. She's got sixteen minutes.

Her hair is nice. It looks black, but it's really dark brown and shines a bit honey-like at the ends.

"Back off!" Ace yells, but the drakon doesn't care.

"Nico! You alright?" Bridger yells from the treetops.

I snap out of my contemplation of the girl's hair, and snatch up one of Spenser's small knives from the ground nearby. I shadow travel to the girl, and she shakes when I hand her the knife.

"Don't be afraid, use it." I tell her quietly.

She grips it correctly, but maybe a little too firm. The drakon hisses at me, turning to look at the interference. My sword is at my side, and I stand up to fight. But, the drakon swoops in for the girl instead, catching me off guard. There's a deafening crunch and some yells from the boys watching. I see a flash of silver as the knife buries in the drakon's right eye. It's a sickening sound as it squishes into the pupil, and the drakon hisses. The tree snaps at just a foot above the girl's head, and tumbles down on top of her and the drakon.

There's more blood, and I see that a significant part of her left arm, near the elbow, has been maimed by the drakon's teeth. More blood on her right hand, where she's holding the head of the monster back from attacking her body. The drakon is wailing horrendously, blood dripping down its face as it struggles helplessly. The girl is writhing under the weight of the tree and monster, trying to get away. Thirteen minutes.

"Yah!" Ace yells, ever so warlike, as he pounces onto the monster's back, breaking a few bones and scales.

More screaming on the drakon's part, but then it leans even more weight on the tiny girl, who groans in the throes of torment. I have to get her out of there, quick. The space between her and the drakon is dangerously small. I'd have a nice chance of getting my head into the drakon's mouth, or suffocating the girl if I tried to squeeze in between them. So, I shadow travel. I've never traveled to such a small spot before. I find myself comfortably pressed against the girl. Our noses would touch if I slumped a bit to match her height. My back is to the drakon, who gnashes its teeth on the nape of my neck. I wince as dull stings appear, and something warm trickles down my back.

The girl's eyes are brown, like dark honey. I can see flecks of gold in them, and languid fear. She's captivating.

Behind me, Ace is stomping on the poor thing. Rather, poor me, because I have to brace the beast thrashing against me. Ace is getting worked up, I can tell by his shouts. I hear the sound of swords sloshing repeatedly in and out of flesh and blood. I don't need to stay any longer to find out how the fight's going to end. Drawing an arm around the girl, I can feel her feeble heartbeat. Nine minutes.

"Sorry 'bout this. A bit uncomfortable, huh?" I said.

She smiled weakly at me, trying not to pass out.

"We're going to do a little shadow traveling. Close your eyes, because there's going to be a bit of spinning. You'll be fine though."

She lets out a little "oh", like it doesn't sound too bad. It isn't bad at all, really. A lot of people don't like shadow traveling though, on the rare occasions that I do bring people with me. The girl offers a frail grip on my shoulder, pressing her forehead to my chest and closes her eyes.

"See you back at camp!" Spenser yells out.

I give him a stern nod and disappear.

**Lallalalalalalalalala! So, what of it? This was supposed to be kind of an action scene, but I feel like my fighting writing is kind of sloppy. Please feel free to drop off some criticism below, and opinions/ideas/whatnot. Your guys' reviews totally make my day! And the fourth chapter will be up soon...probably around next week or so? Not sure... Thank you for reading and hope you lovelies have a splendid day/night :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey readers! How are you doing? So, spring break for me is next week so I should get about two chapters in pretty quickly...Sorry that I didn't publish this one until now. It's kind of a small filler-ish, nothing big really happens (in my opinion) but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Thank you very much for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I am so happy for them, and please keep them coming!**

******I do not own anything, except Lia because she is my OC. I don't own the music lyrics/songs/excerpts/ either.***** **

_There's something about you I hold on to_

_You've got my eyes, you've got my eyes  
You'll never be mine, ah, but you've got my eyes_

_-Lost Kitten by Metric _

**Chapter Four - Lia's P.O.V.**

As one of the other boys call out, I close my eyes. I am totally consumed in darkness; I can feel it wrapping around me. Head to toe, I'm drenched in the air of a bottomless pit. My head spins a bit, and I feel a strange lurching in my chest. It stops, and I feel brightness on the outside of my eyelids once again. I open my eyes, inhaling the scent of pine and something dusty. Leather? No, I can't quite identify it... The smell of a particular boy.

The dark-haired boy did that magical teleportation thing again, and we must be at "camp". He shifts his arm to help me stand alongside him, and I try to lean as little as possible. Though it would be pretty indecent, I wished that I could just stay with my face in his shirt instead. We are surrounded by people, staring wide-eyed. The chattering slowly grows to silence, our sudden appearance the cause of it no doubt. My body gives out then, and I go limp. I expect to land like a sack of potatoes in the dirt, but the boy moves swiftly. He lets his sword clatter to the ground as he scoops my body up into both arms. _Great, just marvelous. _His arms are strong and wiry, and I feel like a nauseous cotton ball. I shut my eyes in an ill effort to regain full consciousness. It's also a defense mechanism so I can shut out the embarrassment for the moment.

"Oh great, Nico. You've gone and brought back a corpse this time." a stereotypical, arrogant male voice mutters.

The boy holding me, Nico, blurts out something about Ace killing a dragon in the woods. The words slur in my ears, but I guess that beast was a dragon. Murmuring erupts, and soon conversation begins to flow again like steady lava from a volcano. I am ushered away from the commotion, urgent voices guiding Nico and me to somewhere else. The slick wetness on various parts of my body has melted into me. I feel quite useless. The aches and pains are still there, and excruciating, but my brain has gone into a state between total shock and numbness.

_Hold on, hold on. Hold on, you'll be alright. Five minutes. _

Voices, and one voice in particular, arise in my head amidst the jumble of thoughts and images. A dragon. The dark haired boy carrying me in his arms. Floating down the river, in a state of isolated mental bliss. I try to keep thinking about the river and the boy, holding onto those two wonderful things that I'd stumbled across today.

The two best feelings in my life so far. I couldn't die.

A hand bigger than mine grasps my fingers as my body is laid onto a flat surface. I have a fear of surgery. _Don't worry, you won't die. _

I slip out of arms and slide into the river.

*******Nico's P.O.V.***********

I fall back onto a chair after laying the girl down on the cot. Two Hermes kids buzz over her, and I can't help but imagine flies over a dead body. But she's not dead. We were four minutes early.

They make me sit on a parallel cot, treating the gash on my forearm and other cuts. Ace, Bridger, and Spenser stumble into the infirmary a few minutes later. Ace is well bloodied, but the other two look fine. They hover around me to get their minor wounds treated. There's much commotion over the girl; she's made a pretty dramatic entrance as a newbie. So we debate about her godly lineage.

"Well, maybe Athenian. I mean, she looks pretty smart to me." Spenser begins.

"Nah, looks like a Demeter kid to me. One of those flower kids that are half-hippy." Bridger says.

I secretly prayed that she wasn't a daughter of Demeter because that wouldn't be so hot for me. Demeter kids are crazy about cereal, and not crazy about me because their mother hates Hades. My dad.

"Hmm...I'm thinking Hecate. She's got that innocent look, but you can tell she's wicked. I could tell in the forest, decent fighter. Wouldn't be surprised if I saw her cursing little squirrels in a month. " Ace said.

We went on and on, until the two Hermes kids said that we should leave. I was hesitant and almost wanted to stay back. To be honest, I didn't want to answer the fusillade of questions all the campers would throw at me. I hung back for a while. Chiron came in a little later to ask me questions. I told him everything, and asked about the Lydian drakon. Chiron told me that Ace had wanted it taxidermied and hung in front of the Ares cabin. They'd settled on placing it in the Hall of Fame.

Around dinner, I got up and took a quick shower. I ate fast and gave small answers to questions before I dashed back to the infirmary. I was going to see if the girl was awake yet, but got intercepted halfway by Alec Moore. I remembered what he said earlier about bringing a corpse back to camp, and he always had something against me so we got into a fight. I won and shadow traveled back to my cabin, but couldn't sleep very well. That girl lying in the infirmary was pretty, I decided. I liked her. And I didn't even know her name yet.

**And so what do you think, you guys? Not a lot of chemistry yett... but soon, I promise ya! I love chemistry fizzing moments aurghhh sparksss. Please review for me? I'd love to hear from you guys, thoughts..opinions..anything. THankkkk you for reading and hope you guys have a wonderful night/day. :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello guys! So sorry I have been absent for so long (especially when I promised to update during Spring Week -_-)! Okay, so here's the next chapter. I hope you like it, even though many of you can probably guess who her godly parent is. Thank you for your reviews, favorites, and follows! Please keep them coming. **

_There's a spanner in the works, you know  
You gotta step up your game to make it to the top  
So go_

Gotta little competition now  
You're going to find it hard to cope with living on your own now  
Oh oh, oh oh

Let's make this happen, girl  
You gotta show the world that something good can work  
And it can work for you  
And you know that it will

_-Something Good Can Work, by Two Door Cinema Club_

**Chapter Five - Lia's POV **

I awoke to hushed silence. I felt like I was being watched. Wearily, I pushed myself up and glanced around. A hospital-like room, and there was a centaur in front of me. I know my Greek mythology pretty well. A middle-aged man with red wine eyes stared blankly back at me, sipping from a Cherry Pepsi.

"Awake now, finally. I was beginning to think that we'd been burdened with another one of those Hypnos blokes that make potato couches look hardworking," the man said, rolling his eyes.

I was somewhat afraid of him, like he would suddenly lash out and bite my head off. His eyes were lazy, but violent at the same time. He was simply brimming with wildness, but also laden with sedatives. I wondered if he was under the influence of drugs.

"This must be all a shock to you, and I'll explain it all shortly. But first, introductions," the centaur said, and he was much more calmer than the man.

The centaur was Chiron. The man was the Greek god of wine, Dionysus.

We were at a camp for demigods called Camp Half-Blood. I was still in New York. There were many kids out there with one mortal parent and a godly parent. They were sent here to train and be kept safe. Sometimes they went on quests. The gods existed and lived on Mt. Olympus. There were monsters, like that thing that attacked me. A Lydian drakon, not dragon. I took it all in like blunt bullet points. _Oh, by the way you might not be able to leave Camp Half-Blood. It's very dangerous for you in the real world. But everything else is alright. Oh, there's an Oracle. Oh, and your godly parent will claim you soon. _

"So...am I a monster?" I asked.

Dionysus snorted, and a Coke appeared in his hands. Chiron gave me a confused look.

"Why would you say that, Lia?" he asked.

"Well - you don't know who my godly parent is, do you? I've never had any magical powers, and I have both parents. A mom and a dad. They're mortals," the word mortal sounded strange on my tongue, like a condescending insult.

Chiron and Dionysus shared a look.

"Kiddo, hate to break it to you, but you're probably adopted." Dionysus shrugged, not sounding sorry to break it to me at all.

"You're not a monster, Lia. It's definite that you're a demigod. We do not know the godly parent of any of the new demigods that come to camp - but neither do they. You simply have to wait until your parent claims you." Chiron said.

"Are you sure-" I began, but was interrupted.

"It's not a mistake. You were sent to Camp Half-Blood," Dionysus locked eyes with me, silencing my protests, "And refer to me as Mr. D in the future."

Chiron bid me good-bye while Dionysus disappeared into thin air. I was left alone again. Suddenly, a stirring sound to my right caught my attention. On the cot right next to me sat the dark haired boy who had saved me yesterday.

He stared at me with dark, black eyes. And smiled.

I simply gaped for a minute, and then fell back into my cot. Did everyone around here teleport? I really wanted to believe I was a demigod then, if magical transportation was part of the package.

"Hey, you're awake now. Did someone just come in?" he asked softly.

"Yeah...Dionysus and Chiron. I mean, Mr. D and Chiron," I said.

The boy gave a weary smile,

"Hmm, so you got an explanation. Nice. I had to watch a little movie."

I just bobbed my head a bit, trying not to look at his face too intently.

"Oh, I'm Nico di Angelo. What's your name?"

"Lia. And...thanks for...saving me yesterday," I found it deeply strange to thank someone for saving your life.

It was not something I had to say, ever.

"Are your wounds getting better?" he asked, taking a step toward me.

I nodded, and racked my brain for something to fuel the conversation.

"So, who's your godly parent?"

Nico winced a bit, like it was a sore subject. Immediately, I recoiled at the thought of having ruined any possibility of a future friendship. Was asking about parents not a polite thing at camp? I had no idea. Nico saw my pained look and gave me a weak smile.

"It's okay. My dad's just really unpopular, and I get some of that. He's Hades."

"The Underworld?" I asked, even though I knew perfectly well who Hades was.

Nico nodded, and I offered him a smile.

"That's not bad. I mean, it's just dead people, right?"

Wrong thing to say. Nico winced a bit, and I mentally slapped myself.

"Sorry," I said quickly, "That was a bit rash."

"Nah, it's alright. But yeah, dead people."

I eased back into my pillows, and remembered to choose my words carefully in the future. Very, very carefully. A soft silence settled over us for a bit, until Nico cleared his throat.

"There's going to be breakfast soon. What do you want?"

My chest felt a bit tingly, but everything else seemed healthy otherwise.

"Can I go? I'm feeling alright." I said, sitting up immediately to prove that I was very capable of walking and eating breakfast.

Nico bit his lip in consideration, and then extended a hand to help me up. I could walk just fine, but didn't let go of his hand. Outside of the hospital, summer sun shone down warmly. I realized that my shirt was spattered with blood, and a little tattered. I must have looked a mess.

"Ugh. I don't have spare clothes." I mutter under my breath.

A girl passing by stops in her tracks, then runs up to meet us.

"Oh my gods!" she squeals, "Come with me!"

She snatches my hand and drags me away fro Nico, who sputters a few protests and gives me a sorry look. The girl, who looks like a model, pulls me into a house. Inside, there are a few people, and they all look like supermodels as well. I feel very uncomfortable. Were people with blood stains on their shirts bullied here?

"This is the new girl from yesterday! We've got to help her out! She's got no spare clothes, and breakfast is in fifteen minutes. And, she was walking with Nico di Angelo!" the girl holding my hand blurts out, like there's going to be an apocalypse.

I try to ignore the Nico di Angelo part.

"Is this the Aphrodite cabin?" I ask.

People nod, and I'm whisked into a chair. Two girls ask me about my personal style, violently throwing clothes in the air. We settle on what they call "semi-hipster with a touch of renovated vintage, cover-up beach boho, and the ever-slightest grunge". I have no idea what that means. Clothes for me had always been PacSun, Urban Outfitters, American Eagle, and H&amp;M.

They give me a floral dress, yellow jelly sandals, and some gold rings. In a separate suitcase, there's fifty pounds worth of clothes that really do suit my taste. I'm told to leave the suitcase here and come back for it when I know my cabin. A boy on his way to the showers is chosen to guide me there. With a towel, toothbrush, shampoo, and conditioner from the ever-generous Aphrodite lot, I settle into the warm showers. It feels like heaven, and I want to stay here a little longer. No doubt that I will be getting plenty of weird stares throughout the day. I didn't know anyone - except for Nico, but I couldn't just tag along with him all day. Furthermore, I was going to be unclaimed for who knew how long. I dreaded the possibility of becoming unclaimed forever. And then there was also the possibility of becoming claimed to a god that I had absolutely no personal interest in. Had that ever happened to a demigod? Probably not, but I am not a stranger to bad luck.

The water is so soothing, and I have it on the hottest possible. Somehow, it doesn't seem enough. I push the lever down, even though it can't budge anymore1. Surprisingly, the water gets hotter. I like scalding hot showers. Slowly, my shower heats up to perfection. That's when I hear the first scream. Soon, the girls' shower room is filled with shrieks of agony. I stand still, wondering if a monster had broken into the showers. Or were snakes coming out of the drains? I am terribly afraid of snakes. Thoughts of mini hydras wafted into my head, and I was frozen in terror.

"Hot! HOT!" A girl shrieked outside.

"The water's turned to fire!" another yells.

"My skin! It's turning red and I look like a lobster!" another wails.

I freeze in my stall, and a silence settles over the room. My shower curtain is whisked open, and I want to scream myself. Instead, water sprays everywhere, and I hear the unfortunate girl screaming and covering her face. I snatch my towel and wrap it around me, stepping outside.

"What-what's going on?" I stammer.

A bunch of girls glare at me, and I suddenly want to look down at my feet.

"Okay, cut the wise crack. Screwing with all the showers isn't funny, you know. You could have burned us all to death if the water was half a degree hotter," a redhead lectured me.

"Yeah, you think this is funny?" a blonde snaps.

I shake my head no, "I didn't do it."

"Don't pretend! It's so obviously you! You didn't scream, and you didn't leap out of your shower," a tall brunette says to me.

She is supported by a heap of accusations from angry girls. Shocked and totally confused, frustration wells up inside of me. I didn't do it. The water was warm in my shower, not burning. I had simply been taking a shower, and all the other girls had started screaming. I was just as clueless and innocent as anyone.

"Stop that," a girl blurted out shakily.

She was staring wide-eyed at me. I followed her gaze to a pool of churning water around my feet. Water was flowing out from the showers and sinks, to me. I tried to shake the water off, like some pesky mosquitoes. But it just kept coming. There were shrieks of fear as the girls edged away from me like the freak I was.

"Stop, stop it!" I hissed to myself.

I began to panic, kicking at the water. The water was rising dramatically. All the girls ran out of the showers, and I decided to follow them. I snatched up my pile of clothes and dashed outside. Maybe the cursed water would stop outside. However, it only got worse as I ran. The water came crashing behind me like waves, and I feared that I would drown.

Then, as my foot met the first spot of earth, it all broke loose. The water behind me, seemingly enough to fill a small swimming pool, collapsed. People within thirty feet were soaked up to their knees. Everyone was staring at me, wide-eyed. I felt the embarrassment race up my spine and hit my cheeks with a full blush. But I wasn't just blushing. A blue light was glowing from inside of my skin, and my lips tasted like salt.

"Lia?" a familiar voice called out.

"I-I..." I stared at Nico helplessly, clutching the towel around my body tighter, "You didn't say the showers were cursed."

"The water's not cursed." a new voice proclaimed.

The kids parted as a dark-haired boy with sea-green eyes approached me. He looked angry, but definite.

"You're a daughter of Poseidon."

**So. Yes, wanderlustsea, Lia is a daughter of Poseidon. There are a lot of fanfics like that, huh? Well, it was inevitable. I love all things nautical, and I love the tension it sets between Lia and Nico. Of course, there would be better tension if we threw Percy in and Nico was bi/gay in this fanfic. Gods, that would be great. ANyhoo, what do you guys think? And, there can always be other kinds of tension, like between Percy and Lia. No, not incest. Like, we all know how Percy was kind of upset at first when he found out Tyson was his half-brother. I could re-do that, with Lia, and it's quite reasonable behavior for Percy to be a bit angry at his new half-sister. What do you think Percy will feel like, though? He is more mature and older now, though... :) Please R&amp;R! And F&amp;F! (favorite and follow...is that not a thing? O well.) Please have a good ****day; it's Friday for me and I'm soooo looking forward to the weekend, as always. **


	6. Chapter 6

**My goodness, I'm such a liar! I apologize to all my readers; I usually update quite often, I'm terribly sorry! School is such a drag...especially in the 4th quarter. I somehow managed to catch a freshman-type of senioritis. I solemnly swear that I will never leave you guys hanging for that long, ever again. I hope you guys haven't given up on me...it's been so long. And I also hope you guys are having a nice summer! **

******I don't own Percy Jackson or anything. The only thing I have is Lia, who is my original character.***** **

_There's an albatross around your neck,_

_all the things you've said,_

_and all the things you've done,_

_can you carry it with no regrets,_

_can you stand the person you've become,_

_ooh there's a light_

_Your albatross, let it go, let it go,_

_your albatross, shoot it down, shoot it down_

_when you just can't shake_

_heavy weight of living_

_Stepping forward out into the day_

_shrugging off the dust and memory_

_though it's soaring still above your head_

_it is out of sight and none shall see_

_ooh there's a light_

-Weight of Living Part 1, by Bastille

**Chapter Six - Lia's POV**

Everyone took the news much better than I did. As they cleared out, I slumped down on a bench trying to make sense of it all. As a child, I'd always loved the beach and swimming. The swimming pool was my salvation. But, Poseidon was one of the Big Three. He wasn't supposed to have any more kids, according to Chiron. So, naturally I hadn't even considered him when pondering about my godly parent.

"Take it easy, kid," the boy told me.

I looked up at him, and he tried to force a smile. He beckoned me to follow him, and I reluctantly did so. Soon, I was at a cabin that just had to be the Poseidon cabin. The building had light blue pillars outside and submarine-like windows. Behind the cabin, I could see the beach. There was also a weather vane shaped like a whale on the roof.

"C'mon. This is your new home, Lia," the boy said, somewhat grudgingly.

Inside, the cabin totally took my breath away. There was fountain with a statue of Poseidon, and afterwards the ceiling was all glass. Behind the glass, it was an aquarium - fish, sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, everything.

"Well, welcome to the cabin. I'm Percy Jackson, your... half-brother. Your other half-brother is Tyson, and he's a Cyclops. You'll get to meet him later in the Mess Hall. You're supposed to eat at your parent's table with siblings."

Then, Percy pointed out my room to me and told me he'd be waiting outside. I changed hurriedly, and then rushed out to go have breakfast. In the mess hall, everyone seemed to be talking about me. I didn't necessarily like it, both the hushed whispers and loud confrontations. It was a very big thing, being a daughter of one of the Three. Percy's behavior was reasonable then; he'd thought that he and Tyson had been the only children of Poseidon. It must have been a nasty shock when I got claimed. Annabeth, a blonde girl from the Athena cabin and Percy's girlfriend, introduced herself to me. She told me not to feel bad and that Percy would get over it in a bit.

After getting food, I met Tyson. We was much more welcoming than Percy, and more responsive. We talked a lot about Poseidon. Tyson himself had been to an underwater forge at Poseidon's palace where other Cyclops made weapons. Then, he told me about hippocampi, giant horses that lived in the sea. Tyson's overabundance of joy to have me in the family almost made up for Percy.

When it came close to the end of breakfast, everyone got up to put some food in the braziers for the gods. I gave Poseidon two strawberries, a croissant, pancake, and orange juice. Unaware of what to say, I stood in front of the brazier awkwardly.

"Thanks...dad," I whispered before I scurried outside.

I was overrun with emotions. Percy hated me, I had no friends, my entire life had been a lie, and I probably would be banned from the showers for my entire life at camp. I wiped my eyes roughly with the back of my hand, sniffling a bit. Someone else took my other hand.

I looked up quickly and saw Nico smiling at me.

"Tough, huh?" he said, leading me away from the crowds.

"Yeah. It's exciting, but mostly sucks," I replied.

We entered the forest, and I noticed how the shadows seemed to melt into Nico. He let go of my hand and stuck his own into his pockets, staring at the ground as we walked.

"It'll get better. Just don't shut yourself out. Take it as advice from me," he laughed bitterly, "Or not. I have a horrible reputation if you haven't heard."

I had no idea what Nico's reputation was, but I could guess that his father's identity was unsettling to the other campers. And there was probably something about his insanely good looks that added to his reputation, especially with the Aphrodite kids. I didn't bring up either subjects, though, because the first was rude and the second would be self-humiliation.

"Percy doesn't hate you, he's just surprised. He'll get over it soon. Then, he'll probably be begging you to be his canoeing partner in the contest for next week. Then you guys will be brainstorming for the chariot races," Nico added.

I shrugged, hoping that was the truth. It was silent for a few minutes as we walked along the deserted path that was filled with mostly shadows. I didn't mind. Dust sprinkled down like mist, and it gave a magical aura to the woods. I heard a skittering noise, and saw a skeleton mouse run around Nico's feet. I let out a little gasp, and the mouse's bones fell apart at Nico's feet. He looked up at me sheepishly and hastily apologized, as the mouse sank into the ground.

"You can do things like that?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah...sorry for scaring you. I keep on forgetting that normal people don't like seeing dead stuff come back to life," he said, avoiding my gaze.

"It was okay!" I exclaim, feeling horrible about making Nico ashamed, "Kinda...cute."

Nico shot me a strange look. He might have been a son of Hades, but he was just like everyone else to know that a girl who found moving animal skeletons cute. But it really was adorable, as morbid as it was.

"Really." I say, trying to sound honest as possible.

"Cool." Nico said indifferently.

I couldn't identify it, but a strange feeling had taken root in the pit of my stomach. I don't recall ever feeling anything like this, and tried to trace it back. It must have been from yesterday, starting with floating down that river. A certain discomfort was in me, like butterflies, unsettlement, and fear of the unknown all rolled into one. And when I am around Nico, I try to ignore it intensifying.

**So! okay, now that we've gotten Lia into camp, we can finally start mixing things up and that's when the excitement kicks in (hopefully you readers will find it so...) just a bit more warming up, maybe new (original) characters and whatnot, plus some family time with Lia and the newfound brother! Ahem, brothers, since Tyson is also another half-brother of Lia's now. Again, I am terribly sorry about promising to update quickly...and not sticking to it. Even if I hadn't promised so, I would still be sorry about not updating for so long. I suppose a reasonable date for the next chapter will be within 1-2 weeks, since I am not at home and thus not in my natural habitat (ahem not using my natural computer and it's hard to find laptops/computers to borrow). Thank you for reading and have a fabulous day! please review if you have the time :) **


	7. Chapter 7

**Helloo guys! Okay, this chapter has two sections, one in Nico's POV and the second is in Lia's. And also we see a little more of Alec Moore (I'm having slight regrets on his name as of right now because Alec is personally a little hard for me to say). If you don't remember, he was a small character at the beginning of the story that made that one joke when Nico came to camp with an almost dead Lia in his arms. Alec said something along the lines of "You've gone and brought back a corpse this time." Yeah, and Nico and him also had a little brawl in the next chapter or so, but I didn't detail it out. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This is a fanfiction. All I have is Lia (and now Alec Moore haha), because they are my original characters.  
**

_Maybe there's a new reason to be true  
And it runs through your veins, straight to your brain  
Imagine if you can, a certain kind of man  
You wanna see now, you wanna see when  
You wake up_

I just wanted to see a different kind of me  
A million things, that make your head spin  
You could take a chance on that other boy's hand  
But it'll break your heart down, down to the ground  
Then you'll wake up  
You'll wake up

Love is irrelevant  
It's all about playing it cool  
I'm crazy for you girl  
That's why I gotta play it cool  
Don't know what else to do

-Don't Know What Else to Do, by the Jungle Giants

**Chapter Seven – Nico's POV**

"Hey, Nico!"

I lifted my head up, slowing down my pace. Spenser walks toward me, smiling.

"I've barely seen you around. Been trying to catch you in the arena, but the timing's always off." he shuffled his hand through his hair.

"Sorry, I've been kinda busy. Did you need something, Spense?"

"No, nope. Just wanna hear what's been up with you and your girl." he winks at me, and I feign confusion.

"I don't have a girl." I say, laughing it off lightly.

"Lies, man. Hm, how about that one daughter of your father's family enemy? Petite girl I think we picked her up in the forest - "

I punch him gently in the shoulder, shaking my head. Part of me wants to tell Spenser everything that I'm feeling – how everything is great with Lia. I spend as much time as I can with her every day. I would spend my entire day with her, but she's got friends, too. And so do I. In the time that we're apart, I train or go to cemeteries. I just can't get her off my mind easy, so I have to do things that require a lot of concentration. When I am with her, everything just feels so perfect. We go into the forest and hike around, jump off the small waterfalls, and explore the caverns that I found a few months ago. She even taught me how to swim. I wanted to tell him about how I loved to hear her laugh, how her voice sounded like angels. She had an edgy sense of humor, and a thing for Italian food.

"You're in love, Nico. I can see it in your eyes; don't need no Aphrodite kid to tell me that." Spenser says as he bends down to look into my face like some doctor.

I shove him away, scoffing.

"We're just hanging out, that's all. I don't even think she likes - "

"Aww, don't give me that! You know all the girls are like dying at your feet. No pun intended," Spenser smirks, and I give a bitter laugh, "But you're hot. The chicks love you. I'm positive Lia's interested. But it's your business. The guys and I just wanted to know if you're up for some adventuring tonight."

A smile slid across my face. "Adventuring" meant that I would shadow travel them to some place where Ace had found monsters on his Beast Radar or whatever they had in the Ares Cabin. And then we would fight our butts off and almost die ten times each. In the morning, we'd barely make it back to camp and crash.

"It's been a while." I groan, trying to hide my smile.

"You know you love it, Nico. We'll be at your cabin after dinner." Spenser slaps me on the back and jogs off into the archery range.

**Lia's POV**

I was wringing the water out of my hair and running to the dining pavilion at the same time. Of course, that's not the safest way to run. But I was almost half an hour late!

Someone let out a low whistle just as I approached the entrance of the pavilion. A tall figure about twenty feet away strolled up to me leisurely. I stepped to the side of the door, to avoid looking like an idiot to the rest of the campers inside. The boy was blonde and unfamiliar, but he smiled at me.

"Your shirt's all wet." he said, smirking a little.

I look down at myself, and almost die from embarrassment. It'd probably gotten soaked from my wet hair on the way here. My bra was very visible through the white cotton. White, of all colors! I groaned, scrambling for words.

"Here." he offered me his shirt, which I hadn't realized he had taken of in the first place.

It was a camp full of teenagers, and I'd seen a ton of shirtless guys – incredibly fit and good-looking shirtless guys, mind you, but this had taken me off guard. I blushed, trying not to look naive and freaked out. But it's a bit difficult when your shirt is transparent and you're standing in front of a shirtless guy that could make it into Abercrombie and Fitch modeling in a heartbeat.

"That's- it's okay. I-I..." I shake my head and am saved by some quick thinking.

I try to listen to what Percy has been teaching me, and focus on the water in my shirt and hair. Slowly, it flows out in small ribbons, and I throw it into the bushes with a flick of my hands.

"Nice." the boy says in admiration, then tucks his shirt into the waistband of his shorts instead of putting it back on.

I look down at the ground, clearing my throat softly, "Thanks anyways, though. For telling me and all."

"No problem," he says, smiling, "I'm Alec Moore from the Ares cabin."

"Lia, Poseidon cabin," I say, heading to the door, "It was nice meeting you."

"Wait, Lia." Alec follows me, and I stop.

"Have you been training with anyone? Like, with weapons."

I've seen everyone sparring around camp and whatnot, but I had not touched a single weapon since I got here. While I had a fascination with all these kinds of weapons and medieval fighting movies like Lord of the Rings, it probably would not work out for me. I shake my head, and make my way into the pavilion. Alec follows by my side.

"Come on, everyone's got to fight at some point. You can't stay in Camp forever. Sometimes you get quests, or you wanna go out and see the world again. There's monsters everywhere, and they're always on the hunt for demigods. And I know you can be good – I see it in you, Lia. Trust me, I'm an Ares kid and I've got a killer gut instinct."

"I don't know. I'd love to but-"

"I'll find you after dinner, okay? We can look through the armory, and do a little work out in the arena. You're gonna learn from the best." he winks at me and goes off in the opposite direction to his table.

I walk to the Poseidon table, trying to make sense of what just happened. Annabeth is standing at our table talking to Percy, and she gives me a look of awe.

"Did Alec Moore just offer to give you free training?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah," I reply breathlessly, "And he assumed that I said yes. How'd you know?"

"She can read lips." Percy says before Annabeth can reply, and laughs to himself.

"Who is he?" I ask Annabeth.

She rolls her eyes. Annabeth was a great friend and she understood me well. In addition, she gave me full profiles on everyone I asked about – like the Aphrodite kid Alicia Main who said she wanted to be my friend but was really trying to hook me up with her ex-boyfriend for some reason. I knew a little about everyone from Annabeth. Except, she hadn't really told me much about Nico when I asked her, asides from what happened with his sister and that he was really old. And the bad blood between him and Percy, though that was pretty much all resolved now. She told me that I should figure out the rest for myself.

"Who is Alec Moore? Well, for starters, an Ares kid. But you already know that. He's got a big ego and he is one of the best fighters we've got. But also one of the best players in camp. For lack of better wording, he's a "hit it and quit it" kind of guy. Stay away from him, Lia."

I could not believe that some guy had just decided to swoop in on my life and picked me as his next one-night stand victim. I had never even seen him before.

"Jerk," Percy rolled his eyes, "and you're still new. What is he even thinking?"

"Hey, you care." I say smiling at Percy as I take a drink of my virgin horchata.

He grimaces as Annabeth and I laugh. I might have used a sarcastic and somewhat biting tone, but deep inside I was thrilled to have him as a brother.

"Of course I do. You're my sister," he mutters quietly under his breath, looking a bit sheepish.

"Can I hit Alec with something?" Tyson asked, and we all laugh.

"No. But maybe I'll get him when we're sparring," I say.

"Lia! You can't seriously go and hang out with _him_." Percy says.

"It wouldn't hurt to try out a few free training sessions from the best swordfighter in camp," I say, mockingly.

"Maybe she will land a few blows." Annabeth nods at me.

She and Percy kiss before she has to head back to her table. Tyson and I bask in the uncomfortable silence left by their display of affection. I pretend to gag, receiving a kick under the table from Percy. We all laugh about it, and then I see Nico staring blankly at me a couple of tables away. I step up, and head to him.

"Hey, Lia." he smiles as I sit down across from him.

"Hey, Nico." I smile back at him.

"Was that Alec Moore?" he says, trying to make it sound casual.

But I can hear something else in the background, and I make a mental note not to bring up the arena. It's just an inexplicable gut feeling.

"Yeah. He was making small talk."

Nico seems to relax, but something is still bothering him. He straightens up, and looks at me uneasily.

"We've got a little bit of bad blood between us, Alec and I." he says softly.

I raise my eyebrows a little, unsure of what to say. What can I say?

"Yeah, Annabeth told me about what a jerk he is." I offer quickly.

Nico nods, then looks at me worriedly.

"I'm going out tonight – with the guys. If he bothers you, tell someone okay? And definitely tell me if he ever tries anything."

I smile at him. Mr. D finds me then, and yells my name loud enough for the entire room to hear. But then again, it's already so loud in the dining pavilion and he's always yelling. I give Nico an apologetic look and get up quickly.

"Have fun tonight. I'll see you tomorrow." I say before dashing back to my table.

"And what about Nico?" Percy asks me when I return.

"Nico? What about Nico?" I ask him.

"For starters, you and him have a thing. How does he feel about you sparring with his archenemy?" Percy says, with the same ferocity of an FBI interrogator.

"Well, _for starters_," I say, sarcastically, "Nico and I do not have a thing. We do spend a lot of time together but I heard he and this other Aphrodite girl have a thing on hold. He's very good-looking and amazing... but we're just friends. I'm sure of it."

I get quiet for a minute, silently wishing that it wasn't so.

"Secondly, Nico doesn't know. I'm not sure how he would react. But, I didn't really feel the need to tell him. He's not interested in everything that goes on in my life, you know."

Percy looks at me curiously.

"Drama. Lots of drama when he finds out." Tyson says, and Percy nods at him.

"That's ridiculous. Nico doesn't even like me like that!" I say, shaking my head.

"You may think that, but you're pretty dumb anyways. What about you, though? You like him!" Percy says.

"Hey, that's mean!" I tell Percy, and kick him under the table.

"A lot of girls like him. Doesn't mean that it's a guarantee to become his girlfriend." I reply.

Percy just rolls his eyes. The conversation is over, and we talk about weapons instead. Percy jokes about how I didn't get a special weapon already – like his Riptide. I have to admit, I am a bit jealous. I haven't gotten anything from Poseidon yet. But it's been only a month, and I can only imagine how busy the gods are. I'm excited to see the armory, wondering what I'll pick up. Good gods, I was going to learn how to fight.

**So, what do you think? I know, it's an awful lot of dialogue. Hopefully, you can see both sides of the love, Nico and Lia. They're both pretty much alike - both in love, but kind of afraid to make a move and say something. Sigh. And then we have Alec Moore. Mhmmm. Please leave some comments to tell me what you think! :) The next chapter should be due in about two weeks or a month at the latest. Thank you so much for reading! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, I'm not so sure about this chapter. But, here goes nothing. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything/PJO/ except for my original characters.**

think you're funny think you're smart  
think you're gonna break my heart  
think you're funny think you're smart  
yeah, you may be good looking  
but you're not a piece of art

-Power and Control by Marina and the Diamonds

**Chapter 8 – Lia's POV**

I saw Nico leave the pavilion with his friends: Spenser, Ace, and Bridger. I was still a little uneasy about not telling him the truth about Alec, but I figured I'd only be asking for attention if I brought it up. I didn't know for sure if Nico and Delilah from the Aphrodite cabin were still together, but she was writing love songs about him and tried to give me poisoned mascara once. When I had asked Nico about it, he said that he "guessed" they were over, and she was probably just having a little trouble getting over it. There was also Baylie from the Apollo cabin, and a few other girls that stared dreamily at him, regardless of if they had dated him in the past or not. Nico wasn't really a player though, just really attractive.

He was the complete opposite of Alec – who seemed very outspoken, rude, and was obviously a notorious player. I wondered if Nico and Alec had ever fought. They must have. But really, I was curious about the reason why they didn't like each other.

"Ready to go?" a voice asked as someone tapped me on my shoulder.

I turned around and saw Alec. Percy gave him a slightly cold look as I said my goodbyes, but didn't say anything. I was grateful for that. Alec made small talk as we walked to the armory. I found out that he was from Chicago and a satyr picked him up from a foster home when he was ten. Now, he was sixteen and had been on two quests already. I personally did not like telling people too much about myself, so I told him I'd lived in New York my entire life and gave a brief summary of how I'd gotten to camp.

"Here we are, armory." Alec said as we approached a large gray building.

Inside, it was like a storage room for all the entire set of 300 or something. Alec smiled when he saw the breathless look on my face. He leaned against the side of the doorframe, smiling what I figured must be his trademark lazy grin.

"Is this what the inside of the Ares cabin is like?" I ask, smiling.

He laughs, "Hmm, a bit lacking. Go on, take a look, Lia. Just choose whatever you want. Or rather, let the weapon choose you."

I smile at his sarcasm, and ventured deeper into the room. There was a small walkway between two walls. Both sides were neatly filled with weapons in different sections. Shields, small knives, bigger knives, axes, spears, all the way to swords at the very end. Alec stands in the doorway, keeping his distance but I can feel his eyes on me. It's unnerving, but I try to focus on the huge array of swords in front of me instead. Considering my horrid hand-eye coordination, I didn't really want to try knife throwing or archery. Spears seemed too brutal, not to mention an axe. A sword was probably a universal weapon for demigods, and it fit my needs perfectly.

My eyes settled on a long sword – it was probably my height, or taller. The hilt was simple and not gaudy, like most. The blade of the sword was as wide as my arm and clear as water. It looked almost like glass.

"That one's Drosia. It means cool dew. It's never been used by anyone before, and it's from the Cyclopes' underwater forge. You know, by your dad's palace." Alec said, walking toward me.

I'd heard of the palace and the forge from Tyson and Percy. It would be amazing to go there someday. Drosia. Cool dew. The name fit the sword perfectly – it looked like misty waters. I loved it. Alec knew, and he stretched up to reach the sword. He handed it to me with the hilt up and blade down. I took it uncertainly, and he laughed.

"Well, wave it around. I know you already love it, but try anyway." Alec said.

I shifted my hand around the hilt, causing the blade to whip upwards. Alec jumped to the side, crashing into a few shields.

"My gods, trying to kill me already?" he asked, laughing.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't-" I began, but he shushed me.

"Well, looks like you're comfortable. And good job for not dropping the sword like the rest of the amateurs around here. You have a nice grip and it's a bit long on you, but you can work with it." Alec walked to the entrance, and I ran after him.

"Oh, and like brother like sister, huh? It'll be lighter without a sheath." Alec added as he closed the door.

"Drosia's a pen?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"No, no," Alec said, laughing, "It's one of the newer swords that can fold up. Actually, fold up isn't right. See, it slides into its sheath when you want it to, and you just throw it out when you want to use it. But, the sword has like mechanism that needs the person's consent, or else we'd have a bunch more accidents. The Athena kids are always brilliant."

I pushed Drosia into the ground and marveled at the sight of the blade sliding into the hilt. I placed it in the pocket of my sweatpants, which sagged at bit at the weight. I took the hilt out and Alec retreated back a few steps, smiling. I slashed at the air, throwing my arm in a sideways motion. The blade whipped out, and I almost cut my own head off if Alec had not run in and grabbed my arm just in time.

"Gods! You really are trying to kill something aren't you?" he said jokingly, but his voice was shaking a bit.

I couldn't blame him – I was shaking myself. I put Drosia back into the hilt stage and pocketed it. Alec released his grip on my wrist and patted me on the back.

"I am so sorry. Thank you, I don't even-"

"Hold your breath, Lia. You're gonna need it for the training." Alec said as we made our way to the arena.

"Thank you, though. For all of this." I say.

I still don't understand why Alec is doing this. If he wanted to have sex, he didn't have to waste so much time and train me. He could have just chatted me up a couple of times and tried to charm me.

"Don't you worry about anything. You're not gonna get hurt with me." he said smiling.

It sounded so genuine, and my heart skipped a beat. But then I remembered that he was a horrible person. And deep down inside, it wasn't Alec that I liked. He was intriguing with his good looks and smooth talk, but he did not make my skin tingle the way it did when I was around Nico. Gods, camp was beginning to give me a major headache in the love department. I made a mental note to go pray to Aphrodite later.

**ta-da. What do you guys think? Like how did Alec do for a first impression? mmmmm Nico is going to be pretty pissed, maybe, if he ever found out about this? Or would he get sad, I wonder? Anyhoo... training lessons with an Ares stud and spending a whole lot of time in the forest with a hot son of Hades. Personally, I wouldn't know who to choose. Haha, joking. I'd choose Nico in a heartbeat. I mean, Alec has a horrid reputation. Oh, how I hate players. Thank you so much for reading and I hope this chapter wasn't a bore! Please send in some reviews as they are very much appreciated :-) **

**P.S. I know there song I put at the beginning of this chapter is a little more mean/hardcore in the sense that Marina/the girl is going to try very hard to get the player back at his own game (hence "I'm going to make you fall") but Lia isn't feeling like that with Alec as of now. Maybe she'll change, or not, who knows. But right now, she's aware that she's treading on somewhat thin ice because Alec is a player and she finds him good-looking. But she's really in for the ride just because she wants to get something out of training...with a hot guy. AHHAHAAA ****  
**

**P.S.S. I am considering of changing the title of the story, but don't worry - I will let you guys know in the next chapter if I do find a new title, and so you readers can know before I make the change. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay. We already have it established that I've been constantly going back on my words. Gods, it's been so long. I am deeply sorry. This chapter is kind of long?/ not really but I hope I can make it up to you guys! There was a suggestion for like a lemon scene, but I think I might have to change the rating for the story if I did that. So that's still kind of a shelved idea. I just didn't feel like writing for this story particularly for a while, so I didn't want to force myself into writing crappy chapters. This is kind of a warm up chapter, because I haven't been writing this story of so long. Hopefully I can get back into the ****rhythm shortly. But, no more promises. Asides from the one that I will not abandon this fanfic! Otherwise...time and all, I've gotten significantly busier this year so I can't guarantee that I will update monthly. But I don't think I will ever go as long as this previous pause again...hopefully.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO.**

_You showed me my tomorrow  
Beside a box of matches  
A welcome threatening stir_

_My hopes of being stolen_  
_Might just ring true_  
_Depends who you prefer_

_But if it's true you're gonna run away_  
_Tell me where_  
_I'll meet you there_

_\- The Fire and the Thud, by the Arctic Monkeys_

**Chapter 9 - Nico's POV**

The next morning, I was in a great mood. These past few weeks, ever since Lia had arrived, had me in high spirits - but after the trip to the Underworld, I felt like I could do anything. Not a lot of people can say that they find running through hell (literally) with angry ghosts and whatnot a refreshing pastime.

After a quick shower, I made my way toward the Poseidon cabin. As the faded blue house came into view, I spotted a tall figure coming my way. I scowled as my eyes made out his face - it was Alec. Our paces slowed to a stop, and we stood face to face. I was just as tall as him, but if I ran my hand through my hair I could gain up to an inch.

"Well, I guess I should run to the bathroom now - before I hurl in front of someone's cabin," Alec muttered.

I gave him a bored and slightly annoyed look.

"Well," I say, mocking his tone, "I'm sure there's a giant stall reserved for the giant piece of shit you are."

He looks like he's going to punch me. Alec always looks like he's going to punch me. I'm sure that's what he always wants to do whenever we see each other anyways. I can say that the feeling is mutual.

"Go rot in your father's castle, motherfucker," and he stresses the word mother just to annoy me.

"There's a place in the Underworld just for you, too. I've already customized it all for you," I tell him.

For a split second, there is fear in his eyes. We're all afraid of death to some extent. I suppose Alec really fears it more than he's allowed to let on - as he is supposed to be a fearless and brave Ares kid. Maybe he goes to sleep every night crying because he's going to be seventy someday and it'll be harder to flirt with hot, young ladies and play every other girl he lays his eyes on. I wouldn't be surprised.

I walk past Alec, up to Lia's cabin. I can hear him walking away angrily.

Percy opens the door seconds after my first knock.

"Yeah, she's here," he says before I can say anything, and points his finger in the direction of Lia's bed.

It's really more like her corner of the room than just a bed. Since it's only the three of them, they all have much more space to themselves. Lia smiles when she sees me. She looks different though, kind of...languid.

"Hey," I say, pointing to her bed.

She nods, and I sit down carefully. Lia draws her knees up to her chest, slowly, as if moving was painful.

"Hey, Nico. How was the Underworld?" she asks, her voice dusted with sleepiness.

"Good. It was fun. The ghosts are gearing up for Halloween," I say.

Lia smiles and brushes a strand of hair away from her face. I spot a bruise on her right shin.

"Did something happen yesterday?" I ask, trying not to sound worried.

Lia bites her bottom lip, and the smile tugs at the edges of her mouth.

"I just started practicing. Fighting, with swords and all. Yesterday was my first training session," she says.

A little excitement creeps into her voice, and I laugh.

"That's great! You should spar Percy, he's one of the greats," I say, and I hear Percy scoff in the distance.

I'm one of the greats now, too, but I don't tell her that. Percy yells it out for me anyways. Lia raises her eyebrows at me, grinning.

"You'll have to help out this sorry soul sometime," Percy adds as he walks by, and points at Lia.

She sticks her tongue out at him.

"I'd be glad to," I say earnestly, and Lia smiles shyly.

As she shows her sword to me, Lia tries not to be so ostentatious. But I can see the ecstatic look in her eyes. She's so proud when she's showing Drosia to me. It's a strange feeling to have someone else's happiness become yours, too.

"Well, this is great timing. There's capture the flag tonight." I say.

Lia gives me a look of mixed horror and fascination.

"Yay! Lia's first game! Lots of fun, a little blood, " Tyson adds, and Percy laughs.

"No one gets seriously hurt," Percy says, rolling his eyes.

"It's great from what I've heard. But I can't even fight decently yet," Lia protests.

"Sit out if you want," Percy replies, shrugging.

"You'll be fine. There's so many people, you're going to pick off a few," I tell Lia.

She gives a small, worried pout.

"Nobody hurts you, Lia. Nico loves you," Tyson whispered, not so quietly.

My cheeks reddened a bit, or maybe they paled. I saw a faint crimson swim up Lia's cheeks, and Percy's eyes glinted with a silent laugh.

"Sorry. I didn't say that," Tyson muttered, sheepishly.

"It's alright, Tyson," I pat him on the back, trying to sound aloof.

(later that night, after dinner)

The cabins were organized in groups, spread across the edge of the forest. On each of the giant rocks stood one captain - Trent from the Apollo cabin and Clarisse from Ares. They were taking turns calling out cabin names for their teams. I was already called out by Trent, and thanked the gods that I did not have to be on the same team as Alec. We'd probably end up fighting each other if we were on the same team anyways.

"Poseidon!" a voice rang out, and I frowned as Lia flashed me an apologetic look. She, Percy, and Tyson shuffled in the opposite direction.

Damn it, we were going against each other. I scowled at the ground, but then Bridger nudged me.

"Nico, this isn't good," he said.

I followed his eyes to Alec, who was smiling at Lia. He was chatting happily with her. As if on cue, he locked eyes with me and grinned a repulsive smile.

"Fucking son of a bitch! I swear, of he touches her-" I hissed angrily under my breath, but was interrupted by the horn.

Everyone ran into the woods, and I lost sight of both Lia and Alec.

"If he touches her, I'll help you hide the body," Bridger said, laughing as he ran alongside me.

"There isn't going to be no fucking body when I'm through with Alec," I promise him.

"That's the spirit! I've never seen you so pumped up, Nico," Spenser says as he runs up from behind us.

A throng of Hecate kids, from the opposing team, run at us from the trees. I want to find Alec; I can't wait to get my hands on him. Seeing him talking with Lia earlier just makes me hate him more. I can't explain it, but something just doesn't feel right. After the Hecate kids, there's a big Ares dude that all three of us have a little difficulty with. Then, two Athena girls. Still, there's no word of where the flag is at. I know Alec is close to the flag - he loves taking the hardest positions when playing capture the flag. He doesn't guard it directly - instead he maintains a close perimeter and picks off aspiring heroes as they approach.

Spenser, Bridger, and I enter a clearing. It's quiet, with sounds of fighting and people muffled through the branches. We're close to the flag. Suddenly, there's a clang of metal on metal. We quietly make for the edge of the clearing, toward where the sound is coming from. Through the trees, I see Lia. She's fighting a Hephaestus girl who's a few inches taller. But Lia obviously has the upper hand. Her footwork is shaky and stiff, but her arm whips back and forth smoothly. I'm stunned at how great she is after just one day of training. Who has she even been training with? There's a lot more room for improvement, and Lia fights with visible doubt and hesitance...but she does really look like a natural. The Hephaestus girl stumbles, and Lia trips her. Lia's won, and I almost congrtulate her out loud. But then Alec comes out from nowhere.

The three of us inhale sharply. Both Bridger and Spenser eye me warily, but I do not blow our cover.

"That was pretty good. A lot of people would never believe that your first training session was yesterday," Alec says, ruffling her hair.

I cringe at the sight of Alec touching her. Lia wrinkles her nose and takes a small step away from him.

"Learning from _the best_, " Lia says in a mocking, sarcastic tone, but she laughs anyways.

I flinch. She's been training with Alec. I suddenly remember my encounter with him this morning, on my way to the Poseidon cabin. What was he doing at the Poseidon cabin? I feel so stupid. I feel as if I could melt into the ground right now. I feel sicker than how I did when I was trapped in that stupid urn.

"Well, I am," Alec says, "But _he _certainly doesn't think so."

"Who?" Lia looks at Alec as if he's crazy, and then scans the trees.

"Crap. He found us," Bridger muttered.

"Nico di Angelo," Alec says coolly as he walks toward us, drawing his sword.

I'm the first to walk forward. I don't know if Bridger and Spenser follow out after me. They might consider running around the trees and find the flag, while evading Lia and Alec. Or they might stay in behind the trees to watch.

"Nico," Lia says softly, looking helpless.

I haven't made up my mind yet on whether I'm angry at her or not. I wonder why she didn't tell me about Alec. I was as good as a swordfighter as Alec. I could train Lia just as fine. What the fuck was Alec's problem?

"You can stay out of this one, Lia," Alec says.

I draw my sword.

**Sooooooooo. I was just playing around with this chapter, trying to introduce the conflict. Please message me ( a few people have for suggestions ) or leave reviews, anything. But please follow and ****review if you like the story and haven't already :-) I'm sorry about the shaky verb usage... I just recently realized that I'm constantly switching from present to past in some scenes. And I'm a lazy proofreader soooo... But please let me know what you think, ok? I love hearing what you guys have to say! Have a good day/night! Additionally, thanks to mariposablossom's lovely reviews, I apologize for avoiding LGBT representation in this story. So yes, Nico is going to be supposedly bisexually - supposedly, because Rick Riordan has not directly and specifically made the distinction of what Nico's sexuality. I'm really sorry if my neglect to this from the beginning angered/offended any of you guys.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello! Thank you very much for the reviews. So, if you haven't heard...I've decided to go along with the original story of PJO and Nico is, -HOUSE OF HADES SPOILER- yes, bisexual. I mean he could be gay or anything else because Rick Riordan hasn't specified yet (to my knowledge). So for the rest of the story he will be bisexual. That's kind of a slight spoiler to my fan fiction but not really.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO.**

_Closer, closer  
And then you're close enough to lose  
Close to the point, where you know that your mind, it can not choose  
Close enough to lose.  
Close enough  
to lose your heart._

_\- Closer, by the Tiny_

**Chapter 10 - Lia's POV**

_Oh nonononono. Oh, gods. _I cursed myself silently in my head over and over. My legs began to tremble with nervousness. But I had no one to blame but myself. I should have told Nico earlier. I should have never talked to Alec. I should have never betrayed Nico. I had seen that look on his face when he'd glanced at me for a split second, as he stepped out of the trees. It was a look of indescribable pain. Why had there been so much hurt in those eyes? But then he had assumed his cool, collected Nico di Angelo look again. I would like to say that I knew him so well though - so well that I had seen beneath that and the distraught was still visible.

But what did I know? I was just a stupid new girl at camp.

"Stay out of it, Lia," Nico says, and his words bite me with ambivalence.

There's a caustic tone, but buried under that I can hear some concern. Or maybe it was just chimerical. I knew better than to hope for things, yet I couldn't stop myself.

"I- I didn't..." my voice trembled and was ignored by the two boys.

Just as Nico is about to attack, Alec lunges forward and deflects the blow. He sneers at Nico, and I feel hatred for the son of Ares boiling inside of me.

"Lia, did Nico tell you about our little rivalry? We fight too often," Alec says nonchalantly, not looking at me.

"This isn't about Lia, you fucking son of a bitch," Nico snarls, and I can see his eyes turning blacker.

I can see both of them getting angrier, and they are literally engulfed in their own aura. But the more significant one is Nico's, and it scares me almost. I expect black flames to shoot out from his hands, or human skeletons to pop out of the ground. I've heard all the stories about him. They fixed the crack he made as a kid, but it was still a legend.

"Oh, but this is about Lia. I'm simply being a good friend and looking out for her. Actually, maybe we'll be more than friends," Alec shoots back.

Alec's words make me cringe, and I see that they have an equally unappealing effect on Nico. If Nico wasn't already fighting Alec and I was more insane, I'd be dueling Alec. Even though I would never be able to beat him, or any son of Ares in a million years. Is it even possible to beat a child of Ares? I don't even buy Percy's story of how he beat the god himself. But, my brother did get a curse for that anyways. A curse was the last thing I needed right now; it was as bad as having Nico angry at me.

"Friends, yeah, _with benefits_. Finish your fucking sentences," Nico said.

Alec rolled his eyes.

"Well, Lia, you see. Nico has a thing for guys," Alec said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Nico sprung at Alec and the two were enveloped in a storm of swords. It was a violent orchestra of metal and clashing, and some yells. It calmed down and Alec began speaking again.

"You might have heard around camp already, or no one has had the guts to stand up and break your heart. But I'm telling you because I _care. _You want to know why Nico hates me so much? Why _we _hate _each other_ so fucking much?" Alec asked me, but at the same time not really _asking._

"Shut up!" Nico yelled, and the ground began to shake.

A feeling of inexplicable dread inundated me. A bone popped out of the ground, followed by a bony body. The skeletons. They began coming out of the ground. I wasn't really utterly terrified, but it was a first experience for me. The skeletons made their way to Alec, and Nico was radiating a dark aura. It was as if he was emitting shadows all around his body.

Alec disobeyed Nico and paid no attention to the skeletons. For the most part, they were just running around and making horrendous wailing noises. It may sound comical, but it was terrifying. I knew that Nico was very angry for his powers to unleash uncontrolled.

"Some people say Nico is _bisexual._ But you all should know better. He's really _gay. _Gay and desperate. That's why he can't get any guys, so he goes around breaking hearts of girls like you."

"That's a lie Alec-" I started, but he cut me off.

I had heard the things about Nico. Just small things. But everyone had said he was bisexual, or a little queer. I had never brought it up with him, because rumors like that floated around camp with everyone. There was already a rumor going around that I had been fornicating with that drakon in the forest. Furthermore, I didn't care if Nico was bisexual. If he was gay, that would be a problem. Because it would break my heart that there was absolutely no way we'd ever be together.

"What's more, he was never going to tell you. Ever. He wanted to hide it from you forever, Lia," Alec said.

That caught me off guard. All of Nico's skeletons fell down, and sank back into the ground slowly. Nico and Alec stepped away from each other.

"That's - that's understandable. Maybe he was afraid that-" I began, but Alec cut me off again.

"Why can't you see, Lia? He's a piece of shit. He doesn't even like you! He would have never told you because there's no chance he'd ever want to be with you. And for good reason, too, because he doesn't deserve you, obviously. But all his friends know. He was just playing around with you."

Alec wasn't making much sense to me. My eyes flicked over to Nico, searching for some solace. He offered none.

"He's right," Nico said bitterly, "I was never going to tell you."

The acrimony in his words stung me. I wondered what that meant. Nico was never going to tell me. Obviously he'd never even considered me even a friend. All his friends knew, but I didn't. He had been leading me on all this time. Or maybe I had thought he was leading me on. We never really had anything, after all. I had been right. I was always right, because everything always went wrong.

My throat began to swell, and I could barely manage to utter a word. I figured it was better not to say anything at all. I bit down hard on my tongue, and tasted a little blood.

"Ok," I muttered in a small voice.

I clenched my hands into fists and bolted. My head turned so quick, the tears almost retreated back into my eyes. I'm not a runner, but I ran out of that clearing faster than a deer pursued by a hunter. My ears were pounding, and my heart was beating ferociously. Yells from Alec and Nico were mixed in with the screaming in my own head. Moments later, all I could hear was the sound of my shaky footsteps on the uneven ground. I realized that my face was moist with thin streams of tears. And then the rest came like a hurricane.

It was hard to stop the tears. Do you ever have that? Maybe it's after three times of crying, or four, or five. And suddenly this time everything is so horrendous and unstoppable. You can't breathe properly, emitting gasps like hiccups. And you can't stop the gasps either. Everything hurts: your chest, your eyes, your throat. It's like you're being torn up from the inside.

Somewhere in the middle of the forest I stopped running. I leaned against a tree for support, then slid down to the ground. The moon was very visible against a clear, starry sky. The game was probably over now.

My throat felt parched and sore. I felt as dry as a river in a drought. I felt like a desert. I felt miserable. The agony stretched throughout my body, and not a single inch was spared. I closed my eyes, but the back of my eyelids were burning, too.

I stayed there for a long time. Then some time in the middle of the night, I found my way back to camp. Percy let me in when I knocked on our cabin door.

"I heard about it. I was going to go out and drag you back, but I figured you'd be okay, and you needed some time..." he said, sleepily.

I nodded and muttered some sort of thanks to him.

It was a difficult night. It took me forever to fall asleep, thinking about Nico and Alec. Replaying Alec' s words over and over in my head, and seeing Nico's face of utter dismay over and over. When I finally did drift off to sleep, I was trapped in a nightmare where I was burning in a black inferno. I could see nothing, but the terror was so real I could feel the heat. But you can't really feel anything physical in dreams, can you?

**yet another chapter I wrote on a whim. I'm really playing around with this new character change. It certainly helps though, because I found a conflict to connect it to! Please keep reading and reviewing, I really love what you have to say! your reviews make me so happy, guys :-) have a nice weekend!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello! I just finished the Blood of Olympus! No worries, though, I won't give any spoilers. I would like to say, though, after finishing the book, that I would like you guys to consider my fanfiction's time setting neglecting the whole Gaea thing. Like you can either pretend that war never happened, or it's over and all is well. The latter scenario is probably better, because Nico is older. He's fourteen in the last book and fifteen in this fanfic. But it's all up to you, just be aware that I will not mention the war in this fic or anything with Gaea probably. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO! **

_I'll be giving up, oh_  
_ Home is where the heart is,_  
_ And I gave it to you in a paper bag_  
_ Even though it's tarnished_

_ And I don't be giving that out easily_  
_ With my deepest dedication_

_-_You and Me, by Disclosure, ft. Eliza Doolittle

**Chapter 11 - Nico's P.O.V.**

I made no move to run after Lia. How could I even face her? And besides, I was still fuming. I turned to Alec, who looked a bit confused at the turn of events. Surely, he had expected Lia to run into his arms - not run away from both of us. But he was still smirking.

"What are you going to do now, gay boy?" he asked coolly.

I ran at him with my sword, catching him off guard. He must have expected me to drop to the ground and cry, because he was not as prepared for the blow as he usually would have been.

"I'm not gay. I'm bisexual," I told him through gritted teeth.

"As if it makes any difference! Lia will never want to be with you anyways," he said, staggering under my blows.

"Doesn't matter. I can't have you going around wiping the shit that comes out of your mouth on other people," I told him.

I made for his legs, and managed a small cut on his knee. Then his shin. Shin injuries hurt like something worthy of Tartarus.

"Fuck you!" he yelled at me.

"That's right, Alec. Come out of the closet," I taunted.

He charged at me with full-blown Ares rage. The impact was more than I anticipated and Alec made a gash on my left forearm.

"Stay away from Lia. She doesn't need assholes like you in her life!"

"Oh yeah? Think I'm going to listen to you, Nico?"

We went at each other for a few more minutes. Finally, I had Alec pressed against a tree with my sword to his throat. The temptation to slice his tiny neck and end it all was overwhelming. I could clean up the mess quickly and nicely enough for no one to find his body for decades. For eternity, if I tried hard enough. But I wasn't willing to spend that much time on his death anyways.

As Alec eyed his sword on the ground a few feet away, I pressed my blade into his skin. I drew enough blood to see him wince.

"Maybe I can't make you stop talking to her, but I'm sure she wants nothing to do with you anyways-"

"You'd be surprised at how charming I can be, Nico."

I twisted the blade in a little further, and Alec emitted a small groan. Here he was, bleeding and defenseless - yet Alec still had the nerve. The grass at my feet was dying rapidly, I could feel the life vaporizing out from beneath my feet. I was internally unstable, and I hated it. These feelings had been vanquished years ago, and now they were returning. The skeletons were rising again, and I didn't know if I dreaded or anticipated the crackle of hard bones pushing through the earth.

"Don't bother her," I said firmly, and shadow traveled out of the accursed place before I killed Alec.

I arrived back at camp in front of my cabin. Percy was standing at my door with a concerned look on his face.

"Where's Lia?" he asked, then took a double take when he saw the blood on me.

"It was Alec. Something happened in the woods with Lia and she got upset. She ran away and then I had to deal with him," I muttered under my breath quickly as I shoved my way into the cabin.

Percy followed after me, even though I tried to close the door on him. He demanded a detailed story as I took off my ragged clothes and washed my wounds. A few years ago, having Percy in my cabin would have given me a panic attack. And then undressing in front of him would make my life made. I laughed bitterly, inside, at the thought of how I would have reacted years ago. Reluctantly, I gave him the bare minimum. Which is a lot.

"That fucking bastard," Percy muttered as I downed some nectar.

"Don't bother. He's my problem," I told Percy, "And I think Lia...needs some time alone. She can handle herself in the woods, but it's been safe so far anyways. I'll be outside your cabin, and if she doesn't come back by one I'll go out looking."

Percy looked taken aback.

"You don't-"

"I do. I have to."

He put his hands up in surrender, and walked out of my cabin. I watched his back for a few seconds, marveling at how I could have been so smitten with him. But my thoughts soon turned back to Lia.

I watched the Poseidon cabin from my roof. Around half past midnight, a rustle in the trees caught my attention. I watched as a small figure approached the Poseidon walked slowly with visible exhaust. She looked like she was about to faint any minute. Outside her cabin, she leaned against a pillar that appeared pale blue in the night. The moonlight reflected off her face, and I could see tired eyes. She had been crying. A lot.

I cursed myself silently. This was all of my fault. She didn't deserve to cry. She looked so fucking small and vulnerable right now. I wanted to jump down and help her, hold her. I just wanted to fucking hold her right now and say sorry a million times, and that I'd make it up to her. But I didn't - I couldn't. Sorry wouldn't help at all. I stayed on the roof, and watched as she knocked feebly on the door.

Percy opened it after a while, and sleepily ushered her inside. He scanned around for me, and saw me on my roof. I locked eyes with him for a second, and then shadow traveled back into my cabin.

It was an agonizing night. I tossed and turned until I saw the first rays of dawn creeping through the window. Agitated, I pulled the curtains over until my room was pitch black. You couldn't tell that it was morning, and that was just the way I liked it.

When I finally fell asleep, every bone in my body felt like it had been used as a drumstick in a heavy metal concert. I had no idea why I was hurting like this. Fighting Alec had been nothing, and we had worse duels before. But that was incomparable to the way my chest felt with the giant, sore lump in my chest. **  
**

**The dialogue and all in this chapter is kind of choppy. It's a little strange writing in Nico's P.O.V., but I'm getting the hang of it. And you'll get to see his side of the story more often from now on, if you guys don't mind :-) Please write a few reviews for me? And thank you to all my lovely followers/favoriters, both new and old! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Soooooo...this is a shifty part, like I alternate between Lia and Nico quite often in this chapter. Hope you guys like it, and drop some critique if you have time afterward. This grey, autumnal weather is perfect for writing :-) Hope you guys are all doing well and feeling swell. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO**

**Chapter 12 - Lia's PoV**

"You can stay in here all day," Percy said for the hundredth time.

Finally, I tiredly opened my eyes. He had been repeating himself for what had seemed like an hour. At least he hadn't yelled at me to wake up. I mustered a small nod.

"Tyson and I won't be back until after dinner, so you can have all the...privacy. That you need. Definitely," he said.

I gave a small nod again.

"There's probably going to be some annoying people knocking on our door and stuff, but I'll see what I can do about it. And if you need anything..."

"I'll be fine. Thanks," I said in a small voice, and Percy nodded.

He looked concerned and curious, but didn't ask me any questions.

"Thank you, Percy," I tell him, offering a small smile.

He grins back, and I turn over to face the wall. Percy mutters some more words, but my mind is pounding too hard to comprehend the words. There is a muffled thump on the floor by the base of my bed, a bye, and Percy's footsteps echoing through the cabin as he heads out the door. The door closes quietly, and locks.

I sit up slowly in bed, and cast my eyes to the ground. There is a giant jar of peanut butter with a red ribbon around it. On the jar, Tyson has written "Get well soon Lia Love, Tyson" and drawn smiley faces on it. There is a spoon tied to one of the ribbon, and I see a dolphin welded out of metal at the top of the spoon. Tyson had made it, no doubt. The gift makes me smile a little, and I'm grateful that I won't have to venture out to get food later.

I fall back into bed and look at the ceiling. My thoughts run back to last night inevitably. The scene is replayed repeatedly in my head, and I wince at Nico's words reverberating through my mind. I knew it was too good to true, us hanging out together so much. I had seriously thought-

I erased the thought. No, it would never happen. Nico was gay. Or bisexual. Everyone had told me that latter...but it didn't matter anyways. Nico himself had admitted last night he was never going to tell me. He didn't want me to know. He didn't trust me. It wasn't going to affect us in any way. We were just friends. Or less. He was just being nice to the new kid at camp. I mentally slapped myself for being clingy to him, because I had thought he wanted to hang out with me. Stupid. I was so, so stupid.

He hadn't even made a move when I ran away. Half of me had expected him to run after me. Tell me that it was all a misunderstanding. Or at least yell my name.

It was all my fault. I shouldn't of have accepted to Alec's training offers. The look of betrayal on Nico's face was seared into my brain. Overwhelmed by it all, I curled up into a ball on my bed and held my head in my hands. Oh, how I wish I could turn back time and undo it all. _Nico, Nico, Nico. I'm so sorry. _

It's hard, dealing with heartbreak from a person that you weren't even in a relationship with. The uncertainty of what you shared, and how they felt to you is forever lingering. So much doubt. And it's all unresolved, and you have to try and bury it away somewhere. There's the thousands of what-ifs. What if it could have ended up differently, what if there really was a chance. You'd never know.

I'd never know. All I would know what that I felt something amazingly strong being with Nico, and now I would never feel that again. Now, there was an abysmal emptiness in my stomach, and I had a premonition of oncoming pain. I could not close my eyes without seeing him. Him and his messy, short black hair. Pale olive skin and black eyes. The skeleton animals and our walks in the forests. His favorite kind of gelato was black walnut. Black, black, black - everything was black for Nico. How he used to wear only black and skull print two years ago, and that he was proud of wearing gray and white now. All his stories about the 1940's, the Lotus Hotel Casino, and his sister, Bianca. And his other sister, Hazel, at the Roman camp.

I felt as if I knew so much about him. But I really didn't know Nico at all, I guess. My eyes were so sore, I couldn't manage another tear. That left me feeling emotionally frustrated, but I was too exhausted to express anything physically. I wanted to scream, or cry, or something. Anything. Instead, all I could do was lie in bed and wonder about what happened between Nico and I.

**Nico's PoV**

It's morning, and there are people knocking on my door. I'm pissed. Some campers are calling my name, demanding to know what happened. The camp is big, but word gets around fast. Not everyone cares about every little ruckus, but there's always the nosy kids. They're usually Aphrodite.

I put a pillow over my head and try to block out the noises. I just want some peace and quiet. Utter quietness. Quickly, I get out of bed and walk to my closet in a few strides. I snatch a black aviator jacket off its clothes hanger and slip on a pair of black jeans. The cabin is pitch black still, and I have no problem finding a shadow.

It's always a good idea to go to a cemetery.

**Lia's PoV**

It's sunny outside when I wake up. I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep.

"Lia..." a voice is calling.

My eyes readjust slowly, and blurry visions melt away. I see Percy standing in front of me. I feel as if I've slept an entire day, but the clock reads 3 p.m.

"I really didn't want to have to wake you up, but it's kind of urgent. They want to see you in the Meeting Hall," he says, sheepishly.

I make some unintelligible sounds as I untangle myself from the sheets, landing most ungracefully on the floor.

"Did that hurt?" Percy asks incredulously.

"Not as much as my heart does," I mumble with a solemn face, and icier than planned, because Percy winces.

"I'm wearing my pajamas," I proclaim to no one in particular, but Percy nods.

Tying my hair up in a half-hearted bun, I follow him out the door. I wonder if I'm being called out for coming back to camp after curfew. I wonder what my punishment will be.

Percy drags me by the hand hurriedly, and shushes anyone who tries to approach us. It's kind of like a surprise or something. I like surprises, if they're good.

**Nico's PoV**

In the misty and dark New Orleans cemetery, I pace back and forth between the rows of gravestones. There are papers scattered over the dewy grass, with black crayon rubbings. What a freak. I'm back to doing gravestone crayon rubbings on a daily basis.

That's when my eyes fall upon a headstone, and I make up my mind. I kneel down, my legs feeling the damp earth soak through my pants. The soft sound of the crayon against the paper and stone sounds happier now, not dull and monotonous like earlier. I'm going to tell Lia, I have to tell her how I feel. I love her, I love her, I love Lia.

I don't want to hide myself from her anymore.

_I was scared of dentists and the dark_  
_I was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations_  
_Oh, all my friends are turning green_  
_You're the magician's assistant in their dream_

_Oh, and they come unstuck_

_Lady, running down to the riptide_  
_Taken away to the dark side_  
_I wanna be your left hand man_

_-Riptide, by Vance Joy _

**Okey dokey. Have a nice day and thank you very much for reading! :-) **


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello! It's been so long...Thank you so much to those of you that have stuck with the story. Hope you like this one. Double PoV. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson.**

Chapter 13 - Nico's PoV

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as a cold rush trembled beneath the earth. I gritted my teeth as I felt his bored eyes staring into my eyes.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to do crayon rubbings?" my father demanded in dull tone.

I stood up, brushing the dirt off my knees as I faced him. He waved his hands absentmindedly as I protested, and the papers and crayons disappeared. I glared at him.

"Don't sulk, Nico. It makes you even more attractive, and then you find yourself in problems like this. Although I must say, it's been a while since you liked a girl."

Embarrassed, I averted my gaze to the ground. Did he know who she was, really? Of course he had to know that Lia was a daughter of Poseidon.

You're...you're not angry?" I mumbled.

Hades laughed his dark, sinister laugh. Except it wasn't really evil, he just laughed like that a lot. A look of soft contemplation washed over his pale face.

"Angry? No, you are happy when you are with her. But Poseidon is not particularly happy about this, especially with what recently happened. And I must admit, Nico, that was not very graceful of during capture the flag. Not amore at all," Hades murmured, and he began to hum the Dean Martin song softly.

I groaned, "You saw that? Poseidon saw that? Oh gods."

My father shrugged, and then handed me a camera out of nowhere.

"No more crayon rubbings, they damage graves. Honestly, you should know better. Pictures, Nico. Pictures," he gave me a dry grin, and then disappeared.

I looked at the old-fashioned Polaroid in my hand. I wondered why he had chosen this one of all cameras. Maybe he knew that I was in a rush. I snapped a picture of the gravestone and it slid out with a content sigh. You know you're messed up when you give the person you love a picture of a gravestone instead of flowers.

Lia's PoV

I kept my eyes fixed on the ground. I didn't want to see the pitiful looks, the questioning eyes, or whatever people were giving me. And then my skin started to a bristle, as a very familiar thing filled the air. The smell of light soap, forests- no. No.

"Perfect place and time," Percy muttered under his breath, and his hand tugged me along faster.

I stumbled over my feet, and my heart beat rapidly. I wanted to run, and I wanted to stay. Disappear and be as far away from here as possible, and also melt into the ground. It was as if my body had gone haywire. I made the mistake of turning back to look at him. He was already staring.

"Lia - I'm sorry," Nico called out.

I had stopped walking. Percy pulled my hand, but I did not budge. Nico stepped up to me, and I averted my gaze down to the dirt at his black Converse shoes.

"Nico, I don't think this is a good time for this," Percy said.

My brother sounded eager and worried, instead of defensive and angry. I don't know why I was expecting him to be angry. Maybe it was because I couldn't be furious at Nico and wanted someone else to do it for me.

"Lia, please, I'm really sorry. I thought about it, and I'm sorry but I just couldn't do anything last night. I should have said something, but I didn't, and I'm willing to tell you all about it now. I'm sorry, Lia, I'm sorry," he pleaded.

The hurt in his voice reminded me of the look in his eyes last night. I exhaled shakily as I turned my gaze from the ground to the right. Still avoiding his face. So many sorry's. He was sorry. I was sorry. So sorry, both of us. I wondered if we could be whole again if we were both filled with so much sorry now.

I looked up at him, and his eyes threw hell upon my heart. I stopped breathing, my lips parted slightly. Damn it, damn it. Percy let go of my hand and patted me on the shoulder softly. People around us were watching quietly. Nico reached into his pocket and handed me something small and square-shaped. It was a Polaroid photo, and as I flipped the blank side over, I saw a gravestone. On the grave, words had been inscribed, and my eyes read them hungrily.

Death is the ocean, and she is my ocean.

"I don't know...I just...please, Lia? I'm sorry about what happened last night. I know it hurt you, and it was imbecilic of me...but I'm sure of what I feel for you now," Nico murmured softly so only I could hear as he stepped closer to me.

I didn't move away. A feeling of calm washed over me, just like when I go diving off the waterfalls - this the moment when I am sinking down, peacefully, and I feel like I am drifting in bodily equilibrium.

"I'm sorry too-" I blurt out, my voice hoarse and raw, "I shouldn't of have reacted so quickly."

Nico embraced me, and I felt the last bit of air escape from me. Ironically, I also felt like I was finally breathing again. He pressed his face into my hair, and I closed my eyes against his chest. Sometimes, people can hug you so tight all your broken pieces feel whole again. Your soul will breathe a sigh of relief and the sun shining down on you will feel lukewarm and gentle. There is a soft rushing in your heart, and that's when you know it's love, I think.

"It's okay. We're going to be okay," Nico murmured into my hair, and I could feel his smile spreading throughout my body. There was nothing in the world I wanted more in the moment than for him to be right.

_Oh, you know me so well_

_You hold me so well_

_And I don't forget it._

_Oh, you love me so good,_

_Your love makes it good._

_And I won't forget it._

_Don't lose hold of me, hold on to me again._

_Don't say what's best for me, a blessing I won't tell._

_Time, won't stop forever._

_My lips won't weather, as long as you're mine._

_\- Hold, by St. South (prod. Infinitefreefall)_

**Obviously, I can't make my characters hold grudges for very long. Please review if you can! And I wish all of you a lovely day/night! Apologies for the somewhat cheesy/cringeworthy gravestone quote. It's hard to come up with romantic things that would be on a gravestone. I tried searching up "gravestone love quotes" on Google and there was nothing to work with. I suppose I should have paid a visit to the cemetery myself, haha. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello! It's finally summer and I'm hoping to not be gone for months at a time. But you know, I'm horrid at keeping promises. Now...after our little lovebirds have been reunited... **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or anything about it.**

_Looking at the world_  
_ Through the sunset in your eyes_  
_ Trying to make the train_

_Sweeping cobwebs from the edges of my mind_  
_ Had to get away to see what we could find_  
_ Hope the days that lie ahead_  
_ Bring us back to where they've led_  
_ Listen not to what's been said to you_

_I've been saving all my money just to take you there_  
_ I smell the garden in your hair_

\- Marrakesh Express, by Crosby, Stills, &amp; Nash

**Chapter 14 - Nico's PoV**

I pressed my face into her hair, inhaling Lia's scent. She smelled like sea-salt caramel and nice laundry. Warm sand and summer nights. The restlessness in my bones had been vanquished. As people around us murmured, she pulled herself away from me daintily. Reluctantly, I let go and just held her hand.

"Thank gods that didn't take a few hundred years or something," Percy muttered.

Lia gripped my hand tightly, and a shy grin quick as lightning shot across her face. I grinned back at her, hoping that my smile was not as weak as my knees.

"Well, don't just stand there!" Percy hissed at us, me in particular.

He trudged on, blushing in embarrassment at all the people focusing on us. Lia and I walked briskly behind him.

"What's going on?" I called out ahead to Percy.

"Meeting," Percy said. He tried to make it sound casual, but he might as well have replied, "I don't know."

"I've never been to one before. Aren't only the leaders supposed to...?" Lia let her words hang in the air.

"Yeah. Maybe your brother wants to step down because you're so wonderful," I said, grinning.

Lia blushed, and looked away, "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Eyebrows. Raising your fucking eyebrows like that, Nico."

I beamed at her. We reached the meeting hall, and Percy ushered us inside. The table was filled already, with only two missing seats. The seats for the Poseidon cabin leader and Hades Cabin leader. Then, a figure rose up from his seat - Alec. I was caught off guard by his appearance, but I felt Lia's grip tighten. I stroked my thumb across the back of her hand, and we let go.

"She can have my seat. We forgot to get another chair," Alec declared, looking at Lia.

I glanced at her, and saw wariness in her eyes. I was dying to know what she thought of him. Gods, Alec just had to barge in and ruin everything. All the damn fucking time. Oh, how I'd love to drag him to the Underworld sometime.

"You two need to cool it. For like, ten minutes," Clarisse ordered.

"I'm afraid this meeting will last longer than ten minutes," a deep voice rumbled from the end of the table.

I glanced and saw Chiron. He motioned for us to take our seats. I walked Lia past Alec, standing behind his empty chair. He made no sound, but I felt his gaze burning into my back. I gave Lia my chair instead, and she sat down next to Percy.

"Good, now we are all here. All the cabin leaders, and some additional campers...that were necessary for this meeting," Annabeth said from across the table.

Her tone made me paranoid. She sounded like she was choosing her words more carefully than usual. Then, she resumed her usual facial expression. It was very aloof, with her certain grey eyes. They pierced through me, then shifted to Lia.

"There was a prophecy last night. The oracle - Rachel, came to the Athena cabin around two a.m. and I, along with several other campers from the cabin witnessed the prophecy being told. There's a recording," Annabeth talked like a news anchor, very as-a-matter-of-factly.

The Apollo cabin leader, a tall, lanky kid with an afro stood up. Carson, I remembered. He ran a hand over his ruffled surfer tank to smoothen it, and began to recite the prophecy in a singsong voice.

"With two, she must go to the West

the new must leave the newfound nest,

arrive before the rebirth of summer is conceived

to the city once submerged and in winter grieved

Find the beast swimming in the rock-rolling king's gaze

an offering must sleep in the tomb's maze

return to the sacrifice in one night

or the sea god shall inflict a second plight."

Carson finished, and sat back down. I looked around for Rachel, but she was not in the room. Where was the Oracle to help us with decoding this prophecy? We needed as much help as we could get, because this one was especially confusing. Oh wait, that's all the prophecies.

"Rachel passed out. She's in a coma. It's a fairly short prophecy, but there seems to be a large amount of unspoken danger behind all this. The Orpheus cabin has reported several strong nightmares around the time of the prophecy last night," Annabeth said.

A feeling of dread began to wash over me as I pieced everything together. Alec and Lia were the only non-cabin leaders here. They were going on the quest. Marvelous. I prayed silently that my conjecture was false, and I was just too paranoid. I looked over at Lia, who was peering intently into the table.

"Lia, you're our newest camper. We haven't had anyone join for almost half a year, and that's an awfully long time," Annabeth confirmed one of my premonitions.

"Oh," was Lia's soft reply, "alright."

Her voice was flat and I could detect nothing. Lia had only got to camp. She needed more training, more time. She was quick on her feet and agile, but there were so many monsters out there. The image of her on the brink of death with the drakon incident was seared into my mind. Everything about this quest sounded wrong. The prophecy was awfully short, too.

"First, we need volunteers for the two others to accompany you. There are no specifications on who these two must be, and the cabin leaders have no problem with volunteers either. We've consulted the Orpheus cabin, who say they only have quick glimpses of your face in their dreams. Chiron also agrees that the other two can be anyone from camp, After we choose the two, we will discuss the prophecy in greater detail." Annabeth spoke directly to Lia, as everyone at the table had pretty much heard this.

The feeling of dread grew as Alec put on his overly self-righteous face. I wanted something bad to happen, like black snakes crawling out of his mouth before he could talk.

"Well, we only need one more volunteer," Alec said flatly.

Annabeth forced her lips into a grim line, "Yes, and another thing. Alec has volunteered."

I knew right away what was going to happen, and it was going to be a disaster. It just had to be Alec, out of all the people in the camp. Couldn't they see that this was a horrible idea? Letting Alec go on the quest with Lia was like leaving a newborn baby in the Underworld.

The Underworld. Oh gods.

"I really don't think that's a good idea," I said coldly.

All heads turned to me, and I pretended to not see Alec's burning gaze.

"He doesn't even know what this prophecy is calling for. He's a great fighter, but there are some problems that might make this quest dangerous," I say slowly.

"I've been on five quests," Alec replied flatly.

"That's not the problem I was referring to," I answered with equivalent coldness.

"Oh yeah? Then what is the problem you-"

"I'd like to volunteer to go on the quest with Lia. And then we could tell the rest of the camp about the prophecy and search for another volunteer," my voice is firm as I interrupt Alec and give Chiron a hard, pleading look.

With the tension in the room and the way gossip spread across camp, everyone here at the meeting had to know about Lia and I. And how Alec was a fucking player and scum overall. He needed to be put into the ground. He was the kind of person I would wish upon afterlife mishaps. I would make sure that his grave would get destroyed and plot resold after he died. Hell, he might not even get a burial. And Alec would definitely have fun in the Underworld.

"Well, I could easily say the same about you, Nico di Angelo. How many quests have you been on? Your aimless wanderings don't count, by the way. Just because you can pull bones out of the ground doesn't mean you're the perfect candidate for this quest, Mr. Archaeologist," Alec declared proudly.

"Actually, I'm not the perfect candidate, but I'm a much better one than you are, Alec Moore-"

"Oh yeah, Nico? How? You think your daddy can kill all the enemies? Or that you can just shadow travel and scare off monsters by wearing all black and looking goth? How exactly do _you _think you're better than _me_?"

His narcissism was really starting to show and his control was slipping. Just a little more, and it would become hilarious.

"I think I've figured out the prophecy," I tried my hardest to look serious while Alec's expression went slack and the smile melted off his face.

_You're lying. _That's what Alec's eyes seemed to say as he glared at me.

But I wasn't.

**well Alec is a little sassy... anyways! what's summer without a quest? totally in the mood to write about one now that it is June. But seriously... what is PJO without quests? quests are great, especially when you've got Nico di Angelo with you. I made the prophecy short because I am horrible at rhyming. but quite a bit of research went into the quest... so don't diss it yet until I explain it in the next chapter! thank you so much to those of you who are still reading! :-) **


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